Worthy Is The Lamb

Behold the Lamb of God, Which Taketh Away the Sin of the World

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 05:36:00 +0000

God Will Provide “Himself” a Lamb - In Gen 22:1-2 we learn about how God tested Abraham with regard to his son, Isaac: “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of”. In order to appreciate the significance of this severe test, we must consider what led up to this. Many years before, God had promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. We know from the Bible that Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born – a result of Sarah giving her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham in the hope of achieving conception, which did take place. However, when Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was 90, God informed them in Gen 17:21, “But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year”. That was just as God had indicated to them initially. The reason God did this was to show that his salvation program would be established through the son of promise (pointing spiritually to Jesus Christ as the Savior) and not by the son after the flesh – a picture of salvation by works as we learn from Gal 4:22-23: “For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants”. The Bible also highlights the fact that Isaac was indeed a gift – a “miracle baby”, if you will – as Rom 4:19-21 teaches: “And being not weak in faith, he [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he [God] had promised, he was able also to perform”. But, now God is telling Abraham to take this son of promise, Isaac, and kill him! Notice how quickly Abraham obeys God’s command in Gen 22:3-5. In the historical setting and from a human perspective, this seems to be such an unemotional, matter-of-fact conversation between Abraham and Isaac. After all, God had instructed Abraham to kill his son and offer him as a burnt offering, and they have been carrying wood for the fire on a three-day journey at this time. Finally, Isaac asks his father, “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Then Abraham’s answer “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” indicates his great faith in God’s promise to establish an everlasting covenant with his seed, as we read in Gen 17:19. What constantly amazes and humbles me (and if you are a parent, you can certainly identify with this) is that God did not require Abraham to actually sacrifice his “only son… whom thou lovest”, yet God [Jehovahjireh] willingly offered up His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay the equivalent of eternal Hell for each child of God.

Gen 22:3-5: “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him... And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

Gen 22:9-14 “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh [LORD will provide]: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

The Sacrificial Substitute - In the study on the sacrifice of Isaac upon Mount Moriah, we considered Gen 22:4, “Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off”. In the historical context, this was indicating that Mount Moriah could be seen in the distance. Notice how John 19:20 says, “… the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city…” What transpired in both accounts are intimately related. This agrees with the language of Heb 13:11-13, which declares that he had to be crucified outside the city gates, having become spiritually polluted and a curse: “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach”. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ was the spiritual fulfillment of Gen 22:13 “… the ram caught in a thicket by his horns…” as He hung on the Cross, as the Lamb of God , “… slain before the foundation of the world”. In fact both the ram’s horns and the altar which Abraham built in Gen 22:9 are ceremonial observances which identify altogether with Christ. It was on the altar that most of the sacrificed animals were placed for offerings to the LORD. The first time the word “altar” is used in the Bible is right after all the animals left Noah’s Ark after the worldwide Flood in Gen 8:20: “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar”. Of course, the altar and all the Old Testament animal sacrifices pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Thus, Jesus had to “go unto the altar of God” as the Ultimate Sacrifice for the sins of His people, according to Heb 9:24-26.

John 19:17-20 “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.”

Heb 9:24-26: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”.

Passover Lamb of God - It is extremely significant that as the lambs were being slain in the temple for the Jewish Passover, that the Lord Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God, Who was “slain from the foundation of the world” – was hanging on the Cross. He was fulfilling all the particulars related to the Passover lamb, which God had expressed in the Exo 12:5-14. At the time when Israel departed out Egypt, it was the Passover; it was the blood of the lamb applied to the door post that would cause God to skip over the judgement. This is what the word “passover” actually means, “to leap”, “to go over”. Actually, it all pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God, as John the Baptist announced, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. When Abraham was ready to offer up Isaac, remember what Abraham said to Isaac?, “God will provide Himself a lamb”. Lord Jesus Christ is that “Lamb”. Concerning the Lord Jesus, we read in Acts 10:43, “... through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission [forgiveness] of sins”. This is how a sinner — and it is the only way — can escape the judgment of God. It is only through His blood that anyone can find forgiveness and have their sins washed away and be cleansed. The Passover lamb in Exo 12:5 was to be “without blemish” because it symbolized the perfect nature and work of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats”. This typology is confirmed in the New Testament by 1 Pet 1:18-19, that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”. In Heb 5:1 we learn the purpose of burnt offerings and sacrifices, “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins …” Nonetheless, all of those sacrifices commanded by God in the Old Testament merely served as sign posts to illustrate a deeper spiritual reality which was yet to appear, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 10:8-10), as we find stated in Gal 4:4. Undoubtedly they speak of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who had to become sin offering for His people, and then had to endure the flames of God’s eternal justice on their behalf. He was the “burnt offering” to redeem wicked, rebellious sinners. He was forsaken by His Father and became a curse in order to mediate an eternal peace between Holy God and fallen man. Heb 10:8 declares, “Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein” and Isa 53:10 asserts that God is pleased with only one sacrifice, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him [Lord Jesus]; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand”.

Exo 12:5-14 “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats... and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it... it is the LORD’s passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

Isa 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth”.

1 Cor 5:7-8 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world - Isa 59:2 reveals our true spiritual condition that has been caused by our sin: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear”. Psa 130:4 records an amazing concept: “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared”. Dan 9:9 describes why this is so incredible: “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him”. Unbelievable as it sounds, forgiveness first originated with God Himself although we have rebelled against him. The Bible teaches much about forgiveness and how it is intimately associated with blood atonement. But why blood atonement? In Lev 17:11 we find this principle, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul”. This explains why the Old Testament is replete with account of lambs, oxen, and turtledoves which were sacrificed on the altar in the temple – like in an animal “slaughter house” – on a daily basis. We also read in the New Testament, in Heb 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness]”. But what kind of sacrifice is God looking for – an animal sacrifice of some kind? Not at all. We find the answer to this question in Mic 6:7, “Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? ...”. We also read in Heb 9:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins”. So, if God is not concerned with the shedding of an animal’s blood, then what kind of blood is He looking for? The Lord Jesus was typified by all of the mandatory animal sacrifices throughout the Old Testament, but none is more closely associated with the Savior than the Passover Lamb, to which John alludes under Divine Inspiration. We know from Heb 10:12, “But this man [the Lord Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God”. For this reason, we understand why the Lord Jesus Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). Notice the emphasis that is placed on the timing of this wonderful Salvation Plan, “from the foundation of the world” – In principle, the Lord Jesus Christ paid for the sins of His people even before He created this magnificently complex universe. Christ is indeed “the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel”, as Heb 12:24 tells us. We read in Gen 17:19: “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him”. We know from Gal 3:16 that the “Seed” in view is physically the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (according to John 1:29) as declared by John the Baptist. Gal 3:16 declares: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ”. The “covenant” is actually the Gospel itself, which concerns itself with the forgiveness of a person’s sin. Rev 21:9b-11 speaks of the heirs of salvation as the Bride of Christ – the Lamb of God – Who is the principal Heir. One of the most interesting accounts of the New Testament is found in Luke 4, where Jesus enters the temple in Nazareth. He is handed the Book of Isaiah, and He turns to Isaiah 61 and reads verses 1 and 2, as we find quoted in Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me... to preach deliverance [forgiveness] to the captives ...”. As we look to the Bible to learn about this wonderful forgiveness that God has provided, may we be compelled to examine our own hearts to see how we stand before God. Have we received His incomprehensible forgiveness? If we have, are we sharing the Gospel of Christ with others so they, too, may also come to know His marvelous forgiveness? Heb 13:20-21 is a beautiful benediction for us to meditate on as we bring this lesson to a close: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Mic 6:6-7 “Wherewith shall I come before the, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

Heb 10:1-4 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Gal 4:4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Heb 10:11-18 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man [Lord Jesus Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance [forgiveness] to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Rev 21:9b-11 “… Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”

Jesus Was In All Points Tempted Like As We Are, Yet Without Sin. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 04:27:00 +0000

What is Lust? Why do we Lust? What do we Lust for? - Our topic today concerns sin – the original sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden and our chief problem – by inheritance, as well as by nature. With God’s mercy, this study can perhaps give us a glimpse of why man is “born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward”, as we read in Job 5:7. Mankind has always been quick to blame others – even God – for his failures, problems, sorrows, and frustrations. However, this blame is altogether misplaced, since the Bible clearly explains that our problems stem from us – from our own pride, greed and lust – as we see in Jam 1:13-15: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed”. So What is lust? –The Bible clearly reveals in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. These were the very same temptations that Satan successfully used against Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and unsuccessfully against the Lord Jesus Christ when He was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. These same enticements are the bases for our sin, which is rooted in our own selfishness. They also form the foundation of how unsaved man thinks, speaks, and acts. We see the vast difference that exists between the world (which really represents the kingdom of Satan) and the Father (Who represents the Kingdom of God). 1 John 2:17 also indicates that this present situation is only temporary: “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”. Col 3:5 points out the very important principle that lust or covetousness is actually idolatry. Why Do We Lust? – Here in Jam 1:13-15, we learn from God that our sin is a direct result of our lust – in fact we are “drawn away” or “drag away” by our lust. Pro 27:20 states, “the eyes of man are never satisfied”. In reality, we want what we cannot have. Man has the evil tendency to think that he knows more than God. He is deluded into thinking he knows what he really needs – what is best for him. How far this is from the truth! What Do We Lust For? – The Bible declares in Jam 4:2-5: “Ye lust, and have not... Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts”. The problem lies in the fact that all that we lust for will never satisfy our soul. We can only “enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season”, as Heb 11:25 indicates. Our day, like much of the New Testament period is characterized by people who love pleasure more than God as we read in 2 Tim 3:4, “Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God”.

Gen 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [lust of the eyes], and a tree to be desired [covet] to make one wise [pride of life], she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Col 3:5 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry”

Jam 4:2-5 “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

Destructive Nature of Sin - We see in Jam 1:13-15, man is enticed by his own lust, and it is lust that “bringeth forth” sin, and sin “bringeth forth” death. The bottom line of all sin results in destruction and ultimately, everlasting death in Hell. In other words, the payment for our sin is to spend an eternity under the white-hot anger of a Holy and Righteous God that demands absolute perfection from each of His rebellious subjects. Num 11:33-34 dramatically records God’s judgment upon the Israelites who complained and lusted after meat, “And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague”. That is why the Bible has so much to say with regard to our sinfulness. From even a casual reading of the Bible, we are brought face to face with not only our innate weaknesses and inadequacies but, more importantly, with our sins that are sending us pell-mell to eternal damnation. This is the accurately painful description that Eph 2:3 paints: “Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others”. Gal 5:19-21 itemizes the works of the flesh – the “conversation” or “lifestyle” of someone who has not been saved. Even if a person were to refrain from committing these particular sins outwardly, they would still remain guilty for having committed these in their minds. Rom 7:5 explains, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death”. To be “in the flesh” signifies that we are not saved. In Rom 8:13 we find these words, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”. Thus, we are introduced to the principle of sowing and reaping, which is inherently active in the life of any person. They will either be sowing and reaping “to the flesh”, or they will be doing the same “to the spirit”. To be “in the spirit” signifies that we are saved. The outcome is also spelled out in Gal 6:8, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Our problem with sin, and its well-deserved consequence – punishment in Hell forevermore – has to do with the fact that we are accountable to God for our sin, since we were created in the image of God. 1 John 3:4 explains, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. Furthermore we understand from Rom 7:7, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet”. This is why we read in 1 Cor 15:56, “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law”. May God deliver us from His wrath in order to grant us His mercy.

Jam 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”

Num 11:33-34 “And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah [which means graves of lust]: because there they buried the people that lusted.”

Gal 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Deceptive Nature of Sin - Let us consider the Biblical notion that all sin is based on deceit, or based on a lie. Deceit is the opposite of truth and is, therefore, the opposite of the Word of Truth, the Bible. In our time together we want to look at the following: 1. Deception in the Garden, 2. Deception in Man. Sin first reared its ugly head in the least likely of places – a perfect environment where two individuals who had been created perfectly by God and in His image existed in perfect fellowship with their Maker. Unfortunately, this idyllic situation was short-lived as their Creator presented them with a test, which they tragically failed, as we read in Gen 3:1-14: “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field... And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat”. At the very onset we see how rapidly and to what extent sin manifested itself in the form of lies, and blaming others. In 2 Cor 11:3 we find this statement, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ”. We also learn from 1 Tim 2:14, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression”. This verse do not mean to suggest that Adam did not sin – he most certainly did – but he was not deceived: he knew full well what he was doing. We understand this because when Eve “took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” The awareness of their physical nakedness merely served to underscore their spiritual nakedness, which meant they had died spiritually, and deserved the just punishment of an eternity in Hell for their disobedience. This in turn compelled them to foolishly think they could DO SOMETHING on their own to avoid Hell – this is the reason they sewed fig leaves together in an attempt to hide their spiritual nakedness. Next let’s look at how the deceptiveness of sin affected every human being born after Adam and Eve. Rom 5:12 explains, “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. Rom 7:11 states, “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me”. Satan acquired control of this present universe by default, owing to the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. That is why the Bible states in John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do ...”. The most fundamental deception of sin denies the very existence of sin itself. 1 John 1:8 declares, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”.

Gen 3:1-6 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods [God], knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Gen 3:11-14: “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”

John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it”

Rev 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”

Only God’s Truth Can Overcome Deception - Heb 3:10 describes deception as a matter of the heart: “Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways”. This is actually speaking about the congregation in the wilderness – the nation or people of God – who were considered by God to be the apple of His eye. We also know from the Bible that only those Israelites under the age of 20, actually arrived safely in the Promised Land, a beautiful picture of Heaven. In 1 Pet 2:25 God likens a believer to sheep going astray (the condition of every human being) which is the same meaning as to err in heart, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls”. Sin also caused man to lose his spiritual “life” – so that all of our first parents’ progeny, the whole human race, are born spiritually dead and continue in that state unless God intervenes in their lives to give them eternal life. Cor 4:6 highlights the necessity of salvation, by the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior for sinners: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. Our only hope lies in the work of the Lord Jesus to pay for our sins in Hell, and bestow His righteousness, or goodness, upon us. This fact is emphasized by 1 Cor 15:22: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”. The first “all” refers to all mankind, and the second “all” comprises all of God’s elect. The work of salvation was accomplished entirely by the Lord Jesus Christ, the “second man” (or “last Adam”), Who came to redeem and recreate man in the image of God (1 Cor 15:45-47). God uses the words of the Bible, to give people spiritual life in their souls. As one reads the Bible, the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment, as we find in John 16:8. We also understand from Rom 7:7 that the Bible, as the Law of God, is designed to expose and condemn our sin, “... I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet”. And we also are aware that faith (which is a synonym for salvation) comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, as Rom 10:17 tells us. On the other hand, 2 Cor 4:3-4 gives us more insight of unsaved, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”. May God have mercy of us to see how easily we are deceived by our sin, and may we flee to the Bible and to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as our only covering for sin, by His righteousness alone.

Tit 3:3 “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another”

Eph 2:1-2 “And you hath he quickened [made spiritually alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”

1 Cor 2:14 “But the natural man [or a non-believer] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”

1 Cor 15:45-47 “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”

Jesus was in All Points Tempted like as We are, Yet Without Sin - We have seen in Jam 1:13-15, man is enticed by his own lust, and it is lust that “bringeth forth” sin, and sin “bringeth forth” death. The Greek word bringeth forth is only used one other time in the New Testament, which is located 3 verses below, in Jam 1:18: “Of his own will begat [bringeth forth] he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures”. And it is indeed interesting that this same word “bringeth forth”, or begat, is the only hope that the human race has of being rescued from an inevitable rendezvous with the Judge of this universe. This of course is speaking about the will of God in causing us to be born from above. The Bible is crystal-clear: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”, as we are reminded of in Rom 6:23. That is why the Bible has so much to say with regard to our sinfulness, and by the same token, much to say about God’s love – the only solution to our sin problem. In John 3:6 the Bible declares, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” and verse 7 continues, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. The Bible informs us in Rom 6:16 that we cannot serve two masters: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” As God saves His people and they grow in grace, one thing they quickly recognize is that the Christian life is a battle. Even after a person is redeemed he struggles with sin because his body still remains unsaved, even though in his soul he has received eternal life. This is clearly seen in a number of verses like Rom 7:20, “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”. Mat 26:41 adds, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. Also in Eph 6 and throughout the Bible one learns that the only “real” strength that one can possess is that which God alone gives to each of His redeemed children. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” highlight the supremacy of God’s everlasting power in bestowing His salvation upon His elect when He saves them and sustains them by His grace. Eph 6:10-13 explains who the real enemy is in this spiritual warfare, and states that a believer is to “put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. 2 Cor 2:11 tells why this is: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices”. These verses also outlines the various parts of the Christian’s armor. 2 Cor 10:3-6 further adds that this spiritual battle is to be fought with spiritual weapons. The words “wiles”, “power”, “darkness”, and “wickedness” found in verses 11-12 highlights the Deception of the Devil. Eph 4:14 also highlights the deceptive teaching that is rampant in our day. Eph 6:10-18 highlights the objective for wearing the pieces of armor, which are defensive in nature – except for the Sword of the Spirit (or the Word of God) which is the only offensive weapon in the Christian’s armory. This weapon – the Truth as revealed in the Word of God, the Bible – along with all the rest of the armour of God can overcome Satan's Deception. The Bible clearly reveals in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. These were the very same temptations that Satan successfully used against Eve in the Garden of Eden and against the Lord Jesus Christ when He was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. But Jesus did not succumb to Lucifer, as Adam and Eve did, instead he combated Satan with the the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.

2 Cor 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

Eph 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”

2 Cor 2:11 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Eph 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day [judgement day], and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Matt 4:1-11 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread [lust of the flesh]. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down [pride of life]: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them [lust of the eyes]; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

Heb 4:12-16 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

The Seven Words from the Cross. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 23:45:00 +0000

Father, Forgive them; for They know not what they do - The first two words of Lord Jesus Christ on Cross are about the Forgiveness of Sins, Repentance and Eternal Inheritance in Christ. The question is who is in view here? Who is being forgiven? Are the people who crucified Christ or railed against Christ, are being forgiven for that particular sin? But in the eyes of God, all that matters is, either all of our sins are forgiven or none of the sins are forgiven. Why? Because, James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” and it is enough to send us to hell. Let us look deeper for the spiritual understanding of this Word on the Cross, in the light of whole Bible. Isa 53 makes it clear, the astounding truth that Christ was laden with the sins of all His Elect by the Father, “for the transgression of my people was he stricken”, and thus had to shoulder the unspeakable agony of eternal damnation on their behalf. We are the reason he went to the Cross. He is bearing our sins in his body on the tree. So he is interceding for His people “he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”. His one sacrifice brought about eternal pardon for His Elect casting “all their sins into the depths of the sea”.

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Isa 53:5, 6, 8, 11, 12 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all... 8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken... He [God the Father] shall see of the travail of his [God the Son] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mat 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Heb 10:11-18 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Psa 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

To day Shalt Thou be with Me in Paradise - In the Luke account (Luke 23:32) God uses the word “malefactors” meaning “workers of evil”, which is a different Greek word for “thieves”. Also in Mark 15:28 quoting Isa 53:12 says, “he was numbered with the transgressors”. We are all transgressors or sinners because the definition of sin is, according to 1 John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. Here the two thieves represent the whole human race, Elect and Non-Elect – typified by sheep and goats, Abel and Cain, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau. Although both the thieves reviled Jesus initially, one who represents the elect, whose eyes God opened, showed genuine repentance and recognized the Savior, becomes saved, and the other represents the non-elect, who is blinded by Satan (2 Cor 4:3-4), did not become saved. Non-Elect like Esau (Heb 12:16-17), Judas (Mat 27:4-5) demonstrated remorse at what they have done (based on the “sorrow of the world”), but not repentance (based on “godly sorrow”). Genuine repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the Elect. In this account we witness the plundering of the “strong man’s palace” as Isa 53:12 declares, Christ “shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors”. The “strong man” is Satan; his “palace”, or house, represents his kingdom, where we all start (Col 1:13), that Christ vanquished at the Cross and delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into His kingdom. The “darkness” and “power of Satan” that underlies an unsaved person’s life and their everlasting destruction are carefully delineated in 1 Cor 6:9-11 and Mat 25:41. In order to defeat Satan “and divideth his spoils”, Christ had to become sin for every true Christian; and then had to suffer the equivalent of eternal damnation on their behalf, give His life as a ransom for them (Mat 20:28). In accordance with God’s salvation program, all of God’s Elect throughout history are being “freed” from Satan’s prison, as we learn from a citation that outlines the Savior’s divine mission in Isa 61:1.

Luke 23:32, 39-43 “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death… And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Mark 15:27-28, 32 “And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors ... 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man [Satan] armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger [Lord Jesus Christ] than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”

1 Pet 2:21-24 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us [true believers], leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him [God the Father] that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose [Christ’s] stripes ye were healed.”

Col 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Woman, behold thy son! Behold thy mother! - We understand, in the historical occurrence, where Christ is at the Cross, that Jesus was very concerned for His mother’s wellbeing. So this disciple, who many believe was the Apostle John, is going to take care of His mother. But didn’t Mary have other children James, Joses, Juda and Simon and daughters (Mark 6:3)? Why did Lord Jesus address his mother as “woman”? Let’s look more closely at deeper spiritual meaning of this Word on Cross. In Matt 12, the Lord Jesus explains his dearest and most cherished “relatives” are those who does the will of His Father, in other words, believers. Let’s go back to Gen 3:15 where God first promised the Savior and how Christ would defeat Satan at the Cross: “And I will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed [Christ]; it [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ] heel”. “Woman” spiritually point to the church (Rev 12:2). This “woman” in Rev 12:2 is the one who brings forth the man child who is Jesus Himself. She is a figure that God is using to typify the believers in the nation of Israel or the line of believers who brought forth the Messiah into the human race. Spiritually, in this word on the Cross, Christ is giving the care of the Church to the believer and the joining of the believer to Church. Also in a way, he is joining the old testament believers with New Testament believers, making them one fold.

John 19:25-27 “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Mat 12:47-50 “Then one said unto him [Jesus], Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” [See also Mark 3:32-35]

Gen 3:14-16 “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15And I will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed [Christ]; it [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ] heel. 16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

Rev 12:1-5 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon [Satan], having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon [Satan] stood before the woman [representing Church or line of believers] which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she brought forth a man child [Lord Jesus], who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”

Gal 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

1 Cor 11:8-12 “For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 9Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man [intimate relation between Christ and his bride], in the Lord. 12For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? - We read in 1 Pet 1:18-20 that the Lord Jesus Christ offered his soul, or life, as payment for the sins of every child of God and is ordained to be the sacrificial lamb even before He created this universe. He had to physically enter time and space to actually suffer the equivalent of spending eternity in Hell for each one of His elect. Lord Jesus Christ started to suffer God’s wrath in Garden of Gethsemane. In Hebrew “Gethsemane” means “winepress”, and Christ began to endure eternal damnation for His people as He was being spiritually crushed. Jesus stood before Pilate for judgment at a place called “Gabbatha” (John 19:13). Pilate, the Roman governor (who typified God the Father) was authorized to pass judgment on God the Son, Who stood apparently innocent before him. Though Jesus had no sin of His Own, He was laden with the sins of the elect. Thus, He was found guilty by His beloved Father, and was required to suffer the penalty of everlasting Hell. In order to be the Savior of His people, the Lord Jesus had to become a curse, as symbolized by the shame of spiritual nakedness on Cross. Isa 53:3-5 depicts the greatest spiritual shame and humiliation that only God the Son could possibly endure. The Cross was situated on a hill called “Golgotha”, meaning “the place of a skull”. Although Christ’s spiritual agony started in the Garden of Gethsemane as the Father poured out the “cup” of His wrath upon the Son, our Lord’s suffering reached full pitch when on the cross He cried out with a loud voice “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”, as we read in Mark 15:34. It’s very difficult for human beings to fully comprehend the wrath of God, which is eternal. How could God forsake God? Because Jesus Christ never ceased to be Eternal God, Who is “omniscient” (or “all knowing”), He obviously knew the reason “why” He was experiencing God’s rejection. But He quoted the question “Why hast thou forsaken me?” from Psa 22:1 to emphasize that the full extent of His spiritual suffering in the Atonement which is impossible for us finite human beings to comprehend. In what way was the Lord Jesus “forsaken”? We find the answer in Isa 54:7-8 and Psa 16:10, which is also quoted in Acts 2:27. We learn from these verses, that God the Father forsook only until the atonement is finished but did not leave God the Son, Jesus Christ, in Hell, which is to be under the eternal wrath of God, forever. God the Father had promised His Son that His soul would not be abandoned or forsaken in Hell and that His body would not decay, which was unlike the bodies of every other human being that has died. Because Hell is presently a condition (John 3:36) and not yet a place, nobody except Christ has ever had to experience its gruesome reality to this point in time. The future nature of a place called Hell is explained in Rev 14:10.

1 Pet 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: but was manifest in these last times for you.”

Luke 22:42, 44 “… Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done ... And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Isa 63:3, 5 “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me ... 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation.”

John 19:11, 13, 17 “11Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he [God] that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. 13When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha 17And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:”.

Isa 53:4-5 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Mat 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [quoting Psa 22:1]”

Matt 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [belly of hell].”

Acts 2:27, 31 (which quotes Psa 16:10) “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption ... 31He [David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”

Rev 14:10 “The same [unsaved] shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

I thirst - These two words on Cross “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” and “I Thirst” shows us the suffering of Christ under God’s wrath, the atoning work of Christ. We have to keep in mind that Jesus, at this point in history and at this point in time, is bearing the sins of His people. He has taken the sins of all His elect and now God is judging Him. The Father is pouring out His wrath upon the Son, and Jesus is going through the equivalent of an eternity in Hell as we see in Isa 53:10-12. In the parable of rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is cast into Hell and what does the rich man desire? What is the one thing that he requests from Abraham (typifying God)? We can see that the rich man desires just the tip of the beggar’s finger dipped in water, a little bit of hope, a little tiny bit of mercy, to cool the tongue! We know that God has “judgment without mercy” when God casts a sinner into Hell. God’s Mercy is available only before we die. Lord Jesus Christ has taken the sins of His people upon Himself, so He stands as a sinner in the sight of God before the Father, guilty. God forsook him. The language of thirsting has to do with desiring salvation or deliverance from God, as we see in Psa 42:1-2, thirsting after God’s Righteousness and God’s Mercy. We know that God develops this thirst in His people and that He will lead His people to the “still waters”. He will lead His people to that place where they can quench their thirst and where they will drink of the truth of the Word of God; they will hear the Gospel and become saved (Matt 5:6). God frequently used the word “water” to typify the Holy Spirit and the Gospel (Eze 36:25-27, John 3:5, John 4:13-14, John 7:37-39, Eph 5:25-27, Rev 22:17). John 7:37-38 acknowledges this same truth: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”. Rev 21:6 further maintains, “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely”. Lord Jesus Christ who is the “living water” had to “thirst” for you and I so we never have to “thirst” again, and have everlasting life, as seen in Rev 7:16-17.

John 19:28 “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

Psa 69:21 “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

Isa 53:10-12 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Luke 16:23-24 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

Psa 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Matt 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Revelation 7:14-17 “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

It is finished - Isa 63:1-5 acknowledges that only the Lord Jesus, a lamb without blemish and without spot, was qualified to atone for the sins of His people. Lord Jesus mission is to do the Work of His Father as he declares in John 4:34. The salvation of all true believers was completed before Christ voluntarily died, when He uttered the majestic words, “it is finished”, and yielded up His spirit to His Father (John 19:30). What had been “finished” was the Atonement for the sins of God’s elect – a crucial element of their salvation. No mere human could pay the enormous price of the sins of those whom Christ came to save. Only a perfect Being – Jesus Christ, Who was fully God and fully man – could pay the infinite price required by God’s justice for sin. Only he can drink of the cup of God’s wrath reserved for you and I. Only God could become laden with sin – not His own, of course – for His people, and only He could successfully atone for the sins of all the believers. We read in 1 Pet 1:18-20 that the Lord Jesus Christ offered his soul, or life, as payment for the sins of every child of God – even before He created this universe. Our only hope for salvation is in the finished work of Christ. Christ Did All the Work of Salvation. What was the “work of faith”, or rather, “the work of Christ” that He so faithfully performed? The “travail”, or “work” in Isa 53:11, that Christ had to endure was eternal damnation, which the Bible calls the “second death – death of body and soul in hell”.

Rev 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

1 Pet 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: but was manifest in these last times for you.”

John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat [food] is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

John 6:37-40 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Luke 24:44-46 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:”

Isa 53:11 “He [referring to the Father] shall see of the travail [or work] of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his [Christ’s] knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities.”

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit - We read in Luke 23:46 that Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”. God the Father had promised Christ that His soul would not be left in Hell, but that He would be raised from the dead. Proof that the penalty was paid in full, is that Christ left His body and in His spirit essence went to be with His heavenly father. There was no longer any payment for sins being made. It was also proof that His soul had not been left in hell, that is, under the wrath of God. When His body was put in the grave, it did not see corruption because the penalty had been fully paid. The big proof and final evidence that the penalty for our sins was fully paid, is the fact that He rose again on Sunday morning. Christ had completely endured the wrath of God for us. David, an ancestor of Christ, lived about one thousand years earlier, and he had prophesied that Christ would be successful in paying for our sins and that He would be raised up and sit on the throne. In Eph 1:17-22, God says Christ experienced the resurrection, ascended up into heaven, sat down at the right hand of God, and He has been given authority over everything in this age and in the age to come. This passage indicates that all of God’s promises concerning what Christ was required to do to be our Savior, have been faithfully fulfilled. We can absolutely depend upon the fact that God’s salvation program will be carried out with meticulous accuracy. To summarize about the seven words on the cross, first and second words are reflecting the forgiveness of sins, repentance and eternal inheritance, third word is reflecting the care for His people – the Church, fourth and fifth words are reflecting the atonement work – Christ enduring the eternal wrath of God, sixth and seventh words are reflecting the successful atonement.

Acts 2:28-32 “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

Eph 1:17-22 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,”

Php 2:6-11 “Who [Christ Jesus], being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

He is Brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter, Yet He Opened Not His Mouth

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 05:15:00 +0000

He was Oppressed and He was Afflicted - The Bible is full of references to God’s anger or judgment as Nah 1:6 depict: “Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him”. The greatest illustration of the damnation of Hell is found in the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Hebrew words for “oppressed”(nagas 5065) and “afflicted” (anah 6031) signifies intense suffering. It is very important to keep in mind that what the Lord Jesus experienced, as Isaiah 53 outlines, is the greatest spiritual adversity any human has ever suffered – eternal damnation. “Heart of the earth” in Matt 12:40 or the “the belly of hell” in Jon 2:2 typifies “the wrath of God”. He is the only human being who has experienced first hand the punishment of Hell, as we discover in a passage such as Psa 88:7: “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah”. Indeed, no one else has actually experienced eternal Hell because they must first be tried in God’s court of divine justice, be found eternally guilty, and then be sentenced to Hell forevermore. Thus Hell is presently a condition and not a place. It will be a place, however, on the Last Day – Judgment Day. The Bible has much to say about the damnation of Hell. First and foremost, it is being under God’s eternal anger for our sin, and it will be more horrible than anyone can possibly imagine. Mat 10:28 adds this fearful warning that God’s judgement is not to be trifled with or lightly esteemed “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him [God] which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. We read of Jesus’ greatest prayer to the Father, “not my will but thine be done” as expressed by His agony three times in the Garden of Gethsemane (which means the “winepress of God”) where He started to endure the wrath of God and had to suffer the equivalent of eternal damnation on our behalf. Heb 5:7 comments on that prayer: “Who [Christ] in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared”. We find in Rev 20:15 this warning: “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”. Because the Lord Jesus was oppressed by His Father and suffered His wrath for us, He was able to set us free from the oppression of Sin, Satan and God’s Wrath.

Isa 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Jon 2:2-3 “And said, I [Jonah typifying Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.”

Matt 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

He is Brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter - Concerning the Lord Jesus, we read in Acts 10:43, “... through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission [forgiveness] of sins”. The Bible teaches much about forgiveness and how it is intimately associated with blood atonement. But why blood atonement? In Lev 17:11 we find this principle, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul”. This explains why the Old Testament is replete with account of lambs, oxen, and turtledoves which were sacrificed on the altar in the temple – like in an animal “slaughter house” – on a daily basis. We also read in the New Testament, in Heb 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness]”. But what kind of sacrifice is God looking for – an animal sacrifice of some kind? Not at all. We find the answer to this question in Mic 6:7, “Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? ...”. We also read in Heb 9:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins”. So, if God is not concerned with the shedding of an animal’s blood, then what kind of blood is He looking for? The Lord Jesus was typified by all of the mandatory animal sacrifices throughout the Old Testament, but none is more closely associated with the Savior than the Passover Lamb, to which John alludes under Divine Inspiration in John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. On Mount Moriah, Gen 22:8 says, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering ...”. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ was the spiritual fulfillment of Gen 22:13 “… the ram caught in a thicket by his horns ...” as He hung on the Cross, as the Lamb of God, “... slain before the foundation of the world”. We know from Heb 10:12, “But this man [Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God”. For this reason, we understand why the Lord Jesus Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). Christ is indeed “the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel”, as Heb 12:24 tells us. God did not require Abraham to actually sacrifice his “only son... whom thou lovest”, yet God willingly offered up His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay the equivalent of eternal Hell for each child of God.

Isa 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Exo 12:5, 11-13 “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: ...11... it is the LORD’s passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

1 Cor 5:7-8 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Heb 10:8-10 “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he [Christ], Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

1 Pet 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: but was manifest in these last times for you.”

He Opened Not His Mouth - The expression, “he opened not his mouth”, in this verse Isa 53:7; and the phrase, “... as a sheep before her shearers is dumb ...” depicts Christ’s willingness to fulfill the purpose of God’s plan. John 10:18 further illustrates the fact that Christ laid down His life voluntarily: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father”. Eph 5:2 affirms: “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given [delivered] himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour”. Jesus stood before Pilate for judgment at a place called “Gabbatha” in John 19:13, “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha”. Pilate, the Roman governor (who typified God the Father) was authorized to pass judgment on God the Son, Who stood apparently innocent before him, as Jesus declares in John 19:11: “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he [God the Father] that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin”. Though Jesus had no sin of His Own, He had become sin for all the elect. Thus, He was found guilty by His beloved Father, and was required to suffer the penalty of everlasting Hell. Here, specifically we see the apex of God’s plan which finds fulfillment in God the Son, Who came, according to Mat 1:21, to “save his people from their sins”, by becoming sin for them and suffering Hell as their Substitute. Turning to the New Testament, we see how this same verse puzzled the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:30-35 prompting him to ask Philip to explain it. Because the Lord Jesus silently endured the full extent of His Father’s eternal wrath, you and I, as Philip did, can open our mouths to proclaim the marvelous wonders of His grace.

Isa 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Psa 39:9-10 [Messianic] “I [Christ] was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou [God the Father] didst it. Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.”

John 19:9 “And [Pilate] went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he [God the Father] that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

Acts 8:30-35 “And Philip ran thither to him [Ethiopian eunuch], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”

If Christ be Not Raised, Your Faith is Vain

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:54:00 +0000

The Necessity of the Resurrection - Let’s first look at the necessity of the Resurrection. God used man to introduce two gigantic biblical themes into this world – death and life (or the resurrection from the dead). In what way was man responsible for catapulting this world into death? It was the fall into sin by Adam and Eve that resulted in death. The “death” that God is talking about in this verse is far worse than physical death. He is speaking about the second death, which is eternal spiritual death in Hell, as described in Rev 21:8. The enormous problem of sin, and its infinitely painful consequences of paying for one’s sins in eternal Hell are, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest dilemma that anyone can face. The reason this problem is so overwhelming is that man is incapable of finding the solution on his own, although many people spend their lives vainly attempting to satisfy a Holy God by their own “works”, or religious efforts. Since the first man’s sin resulted in death for the whole human race, which Man was therefore responsible for the resurrection from the dead? Again, we learn from the Bible that it was the Second Man (or the “Last Adam”), who brought about Life. The “second man” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the eternal God as 1 Cor 15:47 affirms. Furthermore, Rom 1:4 emphasizes the supreme importance of the resurrection from the dead: “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. Not only the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, proves that Lord Jesus is successful and victorious in the Atonement and God’s righteous judgment was satisfied or propitiated by His sacrifice, but it also guarantees that all true Christians will be eternally saved.

Rom 5:12, 14, 19 “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure [figure of Christ] of him that was to come. 19For as by one man’s [First Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Second Adam – Christ] shall many be made righteous.”

1 Cor 15:21, 47 “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead, 47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”

1 Pet 1:18-21 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

If Christ be Not Raised, Your Faith is Vain - This is the summation of being a Christian, if Christ be NOT risen: If there is no reality, if there is no power behind what we read in the Bible about the resurrection of Christ, if these things are like so many things in the world, so many religions, so many professing Christian gospels that are out there that are NOT true to the Bible, if the true Gospel of the Bible is like all of that, then it is worthless. Hebrews 11, the so-called “faith chapter” of the Bible, is a superb example of the faith that true believers have in God’s many promises in the Bible to raise them from the dead unto eternal life: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb 11:13). The passage Heb 11:17-19 is referring to the account in Genesis 22 of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, his “only begotten” son. This account is a historical parable pointing to God’s faithful sacrifice of His “Only Begotten” son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God stopped Abraham from killing his son in actuality at the last second; but why would Abraham do such a terrible thing? Well, we read the reason in Heb 11:19, “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead”. This New Testament verse explains that Abraham was confident that God would raise his son from the dead in order to keep His promise to “establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him” as we read in Gen 17:19. Then Heb 11:19 says, “… from whence also he [or God] received him [that is, Isaac] in a figure [parabole:G3850]”. In other words,God set up this test to be an historical parable that Moses would write about in the book of Genesis over 600 years later. Spiritually, it points to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would come as the Lamb of God over 2,000 years later as a fulfillment of Abraham’s statement in Gen 22:8, “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. Obviously, God knew in advance that Abraham would not fail the test. Abraham could not possibly have known God’s ultimate purpose at the time; but he obeyed God’s command solely “by faith” as we read in Heb 11:17, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried [or tested], offered up Isaac …”. It demonstrates God’s unique power to raise His people from spiritual death to spiritual life, even as Abraham was given the faith of Christ to believe that God could do that which was humanly impossible. Hebrews 11, which mentions numerous believers in the Old Testament who lived by the faith of the Son of God as they underwent many trials and hardships during their earthly sojourn. If Christ be NOT risen, then there is no salvation possible and absolutely no hope of eternal life for them and us — and we Christians would be most miserable of all men, because we are even depriving ourselves of the things of this world. Even though those who do not have the Gospel have a vain life and existence, at least they do have the pleasure of sin. Heb 11:24-26, where God figuratively associates Egypt with sin, helps us to see how Moses chose “the reproach of Christ” over the pleasures of the world: “... Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt ...”.

Heb 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried [or tested], offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure [parabole:G3850].”

Heb 11:8-11 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.”

Heb 11:32-34, 37 “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder , were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;”

Heb 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward [eternal life].”

1 Cor 15:13-17 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

It was NOT possible that Lord Jesus should be Holden of Death - The “resurrection of the dead” is an extremely important topic. When the Apostle Paul is giving his testimony, or actually defending himself before King Agrippa, he speaks of Jesus rising from the dead as we read in Acts 26:23-24: “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles”, it was such an incredible fact for Festus to comprehend: “And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad”. The Athenians were the same way, so we read in Acts 17:32: “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed”. Yes, Christ took upon Him the sins of His people and experienced God’s Wrath, Hell for His people on the cross. Many would like to believe that this is where the story ends. Joseph of Arimathaea went to Pilate and begged His body, and he had a sepulcher nearby hewed in a rock. So we read about Joseph and Nicodemus and probably others also who had to roll away a stone, and the Bible tells us that it was a great stone. In Matt 27:63, the chief priests and Pharisees are saying: “Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again”. Continuing in Matt 27:64-66, We see the desperation of the enemies of God who were doing everything that that they could, humanly speaking, make sure that Jesus stayed dead, the body of Jesus stays in the tomb, that it stays in the sepulcher. They could have had all the power of their army with their chariots and their horses, and it would not have made any difference at all. It would not have made the slightest difference, because the penalty had been paid and death could no longer hold the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the truth is that Jesus did rise and this is what the Gospel centers on. We find this declaration in Acts 13:30 that “it was not possible that he [Lord Jesus] should be holden of it [death]” and “God raised Him from the dead”. The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. This is a key ingredient of the whole Gospel. Indeed, the Resurrection guarantees that all true Christians will be eternally saved, as we see in Rom 9:33. On the other hand, those who do not have a Savior will be “ashamed” – that is, eternally damned, as we find in 1 Pet 2:8. Jesus is indeed the LORD from Heaven, the Creator and the only Savior.

Mat 27:64-66 “Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch”

Isa 53:11 “He [God the Father] shall see of the travail of his [God the Son] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Heb 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death [second death] for every man [every one of His Elect].”

Acts 2:23-24 “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he [Christ] should be holden of it [death].”

Jesus the Author and Finisher of Faith - “Faith” is synonymous with the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is called “Faithful” in Rev 19:11. What was the “work of faith”, or rather, “the work of Christ” that He so faithfully performed? Isa 53:11 reveals: “He [referring to the Father] shall see of the travail [or work] of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his [Christ’s] knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities”. The “travail”, or “work”, that Christ had to endure was eternal damnation, which the Bible calls the “second death”. In John 4:34 we also find this statement, “Jesus saith unto them, My meat [food] is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”. His perfect work was completed while on the Cross he uttered the words of John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”. Yes, what had been “finished” or accomplished on the cross was the Atonement for the sins of God’s elect – a crucial element of their salvation. Lord Jesus was able to endure the Cross, with the faith in God the Father and in the promise to Him by His Father that His soul would not be left in Hell and that His body would not be subject to “corruption”, or decay (Acts 13:33-37). Heb 12:2 declares, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of (our: added by translators) faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. God is only pleased with His work, He is pleased with His salvation program that is centered around the faith OF the Lord Jesus Christ, as Gal 2:16 and 20 insist: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified… 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. The way that Christ “loved” the believers and “gave himself” for them is outlined in Isa 53:11. Eph 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith [the faith of Christ]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. After salvation we are given “faith” along with the other eight fruit (or “products”) of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, according to Gal:22-23.

Rev 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he [Jesus Christ] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

Acts 2:25-27 (quoting Psa 16:10) “For David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou [God the Father] wilt not leave my [God the Son] soul in Hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Acts 13:33-37 “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.”

Col 2:11-12 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead”

The Hope of the Resurrection for the Christian - The Bible’s answer to the very important question, “What is faith?” is given in Heb 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Who or what is the Christian’s “confidence” and the “substance (hupostasis:G5287) of things hoped for”? What is it that a child of God hopes for? We read in Rom 8:24-25, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it”. We learn that one is “saved by hope”, but it is not something we can see physically. As the verse teaches; if we see something physically, there is really no need for hope. 2 Cor 5:7 similarly states, “For we walk by faith, not by sight:”. 1 Cor 15:19 stresses the importance of a “living hope” for each believer who anticipates resurrection and spending eternity – not just a few years on this earth – with the object, or substance, of his hope, the Lord Jesus Christ: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”. 1 Pet 1:3 speaks about being “begotten again” (or “born again”) to such a glorious hope: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [or living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. In other words, faith is a person, and a person has “substance”. Thus, the faith related to eternal salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ! The “evidence of things not seen” is a reference to the Written Word of God and also to the Incarnate Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the “Word made flesh”, as we read in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”. This point bears repeating: Faith is the Word of God – the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why Rom 10:17 announces, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. 2 Cor 4:18 also mentions the difference between “things not seen” and the “things which are seen”: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. If we are a true Christian, things that are eternal in character should grip our minds and hearts and motivate us to greater obedience, as Col 3:1-2 asserts: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”. The “things on the earth” are the things which can be seen – or temporal things.

Isa 25:8 “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”

Heb 1:1-3 “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person (substance hupostasis:G5287), and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

1 Pet 1:18-21 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

"It is finished", "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit"

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:24:00 +0000

It is finished - Isa 63:1-5 acknowledges that only the Lord Jesus was qualified to atone for the sins of His people. Lord Jesus mission is to do the Work of His Father as he declares in John 4:34. The salvation of all true believers was completed before Christ voluntarily died, when He uttered the majestic words, “it is finished”, and yielded up His spirit to His Father (John 19:30). What had been “finished” was the Atonement for the sins of God’s elect – a crucial element of their salvation. No mere human could pay the enormous price of the sins of those whom Christ came to save. Only a perfect Being – Jesus Christ, Who was fully God and fully man – could pay the infinite price required by God’s justice for sin, only he can drink of the cup of God's wrath reserved for you and I. Only God could become laden with sin – not His own, of course – for His people, and only He could successfully atone for the sins of all the believers. We read 1 Pet 1:18-20 that the Lord Jesus Christ offered his soul, or life, as payment for the sins of every child of God – even before He created this universe. Our only hope for salvation is in the finished work of Christ. Christ Did All the Work of Salvation. What was the “work of faith”, or rather, “the work of Christ” that He so faithfully performed? The “travail”, or “work” in Isa 53:11, that Christ had to endure was eternal damnation, which the Bible calls the “second death”.

Rev 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

1 Pet 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: but was manifest in these last times for you.”

John 6:37-40 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Psa 40:7-8 “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat [food] is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

Psa 75:8 "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked [you and I] of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them."

Luke 22:42 "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup [Lord Jesus drank that cup of God's wrath in place of His Elect] from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

Isa 63:1-5 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.”

1 John 4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Isa 53:11 “He [referring to the Father] shall see of the travail [or work] of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his [Christ’s] knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities.”

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Luke 24:44-46 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:”

Col 2:11-12 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Php 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

The Son of Man be Three Days and Three Nights in the Heart of the Earth - We read in Matt 12:38-40 that the Son of man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. First of all, God is not saying that Jesus was in the grave three days and three nights. Secondly, “the heart of the earth” is a figure of speech that involves the suffering of Christ under God's wrath, He endured hell for our sins. The suffering of Christ began on Thursday evening in the Garden of Gethsemane. No man had yet laid a hand on Him, and yet He threw Himself to the ground with loud cries and the sweat poured off His body like great drops of blood into the ground because He was already enduring the wrath of God. He was spiritually in hell; the nature of hell is to be under the wrath of God. On Sunday morning, He arose from the grave which was the final proof that He had completely paid for the sins of those He came to save, that is, He had endured the equivalent of eternal damnation on behalf of those He came to save. He did not suffer the whole three days and three nights, from Thursday night until Sunday morning. His suffering ceased when He hung on the cross and said, “It is finished”, and that was Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours after He had gone into the Garden of Gethsemane. Right after that, He said in Luke 23:46, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”. His body was put in the grave; He did not go into the grave as a whole personality. He was no longer suffering. These activities were all proofs and, therefore, were all part of His atonement experience. Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night equals three nights. All day Friday, all day Saturday, and a partial day Sunday, which is counted as a day, equals three days. Thus, three days and three nights are involved with the atonement.

Jon 2:2-7 "And said, I [Jonah typifying Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple."

Matt 12:38-40 “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master [teacher], we would see a sign [or miracle] from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit - God the Father had promised Christ that His soul would not be left in Hell, but that He would be raised from the dead. Proof that the penalty was paid is that Christ left His body and in His spirit essence, He went to be with His heavenly father. We read in Luke 23:46 that Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”. There was no longer any payment for sins being made. His body was still on the cross but in His spirit essence He had gone to be with the Father. When His body was put in the grave, it did not see corruption because the penalty had been fully paid. The big proof and final evidence that the penalty for our sins was fully paid, is the fact that He rose again on Sunday morning. It was also proof that His soul had not been left in hell, that is, under the wrath of God. Christ had completely endured the wrath of God for us. David, an ancestor of Christ, lived about one thousand years earlier, and he had prophesied that Christ would be successful in paying for our sins and that He would be raised up and sit on the throne. In Ephesians 1, God says He experienced the resurrection, ascended up into heaven, sat down at the right hand of God, and He has been given authority over everything in this age and in the age to come. This passage indicates that all of God’s promises concerning what Christ was required to do to be our Savior, have been faithfully fulfilled. We can absolutely depend upon the fact that God’s salvation program will be carried out with meticulous accuracy.

Acts 2:28-32 “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

Eph 1:17-22 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,"

Woman, Behold thy Son! Behold thy Mother!

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:23:00 +0000

Woman, behold thy son! Behold thy mother! - We understand, in the historical occurrence, where Christ is at the Cross, that Jesus was very concerned for His mother’s wellbeing. So this disciple, who many believe was the Apostle John, is going to take care of His mother. But didn’t Mary have other children (Mark 6:3)? Why did Lord Jesus address his mother as “woman”? Let’s look more closely at deeper spiritual meaning of this Word on Cross. In Matt 12, the Lord Jesus explains his dearest and most cherished “relatives” are those who does the will of His Father, in other words, believers. Let’s go back to Genesis where God first promised the Savior and how Christ would defeat Satan at the Cross. “Woman” spiritually point to the church (Rev 12:2). This “woman” in Rev 12:2 is the one who brings forth the man child who is Jesus Himself. She is a figure that God is using to typify the believers in the nation of Israel or the line of believers who brought forth the Messiah into the human race. Let’s also look at 1 Tim 2:12-14. Bear in mind that the spiritual analogy of the woman learning in silence from her husband in this verse, is a picture of the elect learning from their Husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. In this verse "she shall be saved in childbearing" somehow teaching that child-bearing is a decisive factor in salvation? The answer is yes. However, it is not referring to one’s own progeny, but rather to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritually, in this word on the Cross, Christ is giving the care of the Church to the believer and the joining of the believer to Church. Also in a way, he is joining the old testament believers with New Testament believers, making them one fold. To summarize, first and second words are reflecting the forgiveness of sins, repentance and internal inheritance, third word is reflecting the care for His people, the Church, fourth and fifth words are reflecting the atonement work, Christ enduring the eternal wrath of God, sixth and seventh words are reflecting the successful atonement.

John 19:25-27 “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”

Mat 12:47-50 “Then one said unto him [Jesus], Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” [See also Mark 3:32-35]

Gen 3:14-16 “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15And I will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed [Christ]; it [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ] heel. 16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

Rev 12:1-5 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon [Satan] stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she brought forth a man child [Lord Jesus], who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”

Gal 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

1 Cor 11:8-12 “For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 9Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man [intimate relation between Christ and his bride, the body of believers], in the Lord. 12For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

1 Tim 2:12-14 “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”

"My God, My God, Why hast Thou Forsaken Me?", "I Thirst"

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? - We read 1 Pet 1:18-20 that the Lord Jesus Christ offered his soul, or life, as payment for the sins of every child of God and is ordained even before He created this universe. He had to physically enter time and space to actually suffer the equivalent of spending eternity in Hell for each one of His elect. Lord Jesus Christ started to suffer God’s wrath in Garden of Gethsemane. In Hebrew “Gethsemane” means “winepress”, and Christ began to endure eternal damnation for His people as He was being spiritually crushed. Jesus stood before Pilate for judgment at a place called “Gabbatha”. Pilate, the Roman governor (who typified God the Father) was authorized to pass judgment on God the Son, Who stood apparently innocent before him. Though Jesus had no sin of His Own, He had become sin for all the elect. Thus, He was found guilty by His beloved Father, and was required to suffer the penalty of everlasting Hell. In order to be the Savior of His people, the Lord Jesus had to become a curse, as symbolized by the shame of spiritual nakedness on Cross. Isa 53:3-5 depicts the greatest spiritual shame and humiliation that only God the Son could possibly endure. The Cross was situated on a hill called “Golgotha”, meaning “the place of a skull”. Although Christ’s spiritual agony started in the Garden of Gethsemane as the Father poured out the “cup” of His wrath upon the Son, our Lord’s suffering reached full pitch when on the cross He cried out with a loud voice "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?", as we read in Mark 15:34. It’s very difficult for human beings to fully comprehend the wrath of God, which is eternal. How could God forsake God? Because Jesus Christ never ceased to be Eternal God, Who is “omniscient” (or “all knowing”), He obviously knew the reason “why” He was experiencing God’s rejection. But He quoted the question “Why hast thou forsaken me?” from Psa 22:1 to emphasize that the full extent of His spiritual suffering in the Atonement which is impossible for us finite human beings to comprehend. In what way was the Lord Jesus “forsaken”? We find the answer in Isa 54:7-8 and Psa 16:10, which is also quoted in Acts 2:27. We learn from these verses, that God the Father forsook only until the atonement is finished but did not leave God the Son, Jesus Christ, in Hell, which is to be under the eternal wrath of God, forever. God the Father had promised His Son that His soul would not be abandoned or forsaken in Hell and that His body would not decay, which was unlike the bodies of every other human being that has died. Because Hell is presently a condition (John 3:36) and not a place, nobody except Christ has ever had to experience its gruesome reality to this point in time. The future nature of a place called Hell is explained in Rev 14:10.

1 Pet 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: but was manifest in these last times for you.”

Luke 22:42 ,44 “… Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done... And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Isa 63:3,5 “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me… 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation.”

John 19:13 “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha”.

John 19:11 “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

John 19:17 “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:”

Isa 53:3-5 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Deu 21:23 “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Gal 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Psa 22:1 [Messianic] “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

Mat 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

2 Sam 22:5-7 [Messianic] “When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.”

Jon 2:2-6 [Messianic] “I [Jonah typifying Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.”

Matt 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [belly of hell].”

Acts 2:27,31 (which quotes Psa 16:10) “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption….31 He [David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”

Isa 54:7-8 “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.”

John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Rev 14:10 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

Mat 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand [who do not have Lord Jesus paid the penalty], Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

I thirst - These two words on Cross "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?", "I Thirst" shows us the suffering of Christ under God's wrath, the atoning work of Christ. We have to keep in mind that Jesus, at this point in history and at this point in time, is bearing the sins of His people. He has taken the sins of all His elect and now God is judging Him. The Father is pouring out God’s wrath upon the Son, and Jesus is going through the equivalent of an eternity in Hell as we see in Isa 53:10-12. In the parable of rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is cast into Hell and what does the rich man desire? What is the one thing that he requests from Abraham (typifying God)? We can see that the rich man desires just the tip of the beggar’s finger dipped in water, a little bit of hope, a little tiny bit of mercy, then it could cool the tongue! We know that God has “judgment without mercy” when God casts a sinner into Hell. God’s Mercy is available only before we die. Lord Jesus Christ has taken the sins of His people upon Himself, so He stands as a sinner in the sight of God before the Father, guilty. God forsook him. The language of thirsting has to do with desiring salvation/deliverance from God, as we see in Psa 42:1-2, thirsting after God’s Righteousness and God’s Mercy. We know that God develops this thirst in His people and that He will lead His people to the “still waters”. He will lead His people to that place where they can quench their thirst and where they will drink of the truth of the Word of God; they will hear the Gospel and become saved (Matt 5:6). Lord Jesus Christ who is the “living water” had to “thirst” for you and I so we never have to “thirst” again, and have everlasting life, as seen in Rev 7.

John 19:28 “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

Psa 69:21 "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."

Isa 53:10-12 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Acts 2:25-28 [Psalm 16:10] “For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”

Luke 16:23-24 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

Psa 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Matt 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Revelation 7:14-17 “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

"Father, Forgive Them...", "To day Shalt Thou be with Me in Paradise"

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:12:00 +0000

Father, Forgive them; for They know not what they do - The first two words of Lord Jesus Christ on Cross are about the Forgiveness of Sins, Repentance and Eternal Inheritance in Christ. The question is who is in view here? Who is being forgiven? Are the people who crucified Christ or railed against Christ are being forgiven for that particular sin? But in the eyes of God, all that matters is, either all of our sins are forgiven or none of the sins are forgiven. Why? Because, James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” and it is enough to send us to hell. Let us look deeper for the spiritual understanding of this Word on the Cross, in the light of whole Bible. Isa 53 makes it clear the astounding truth that Christ was laden with the sins of all His Elect by the Father, "for the transgression of my people was he stricken", and thus had to shoulder the unspeakable agony of eternal damnation on their behalf. We are the reason he went to the Cross. He is bearing our sins in his body on the tree. So he is interceding for His people "he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors". His one sacrifice brought about eternal pardon for His Elect casting “all their sins into the depths of the sea”.

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Isa 53:5,6,8,11,12 “But he was wounded [defiled] for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken….He [God the Father] shall see of the travail of his [God the Son] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Col 1:12-14 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

Mat 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Heb 10:11-18 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Psa 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

To day Shalt Thou be with Me in Paradise - In the Luke account God uses the word “malefactors” meaning “workers of evil”, which is a different Greek word for “thieves”. Also in Mark 15:28 quoting Isa 53:12 says, “he was numbered with the transgressors”. We are all transgressors/sinners because the definition of sin is, according to 1 John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. Here the two thieves represent the whole human race, Elect and Non-Elect typified by sheep and goats, Abel and Cain, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau. Although both reviled Jesus initially, one man represents the elect, showed genuine repentance and recognized the Savior, becomes saved, and the other represents the non-elect, who did not become saved. Non-Elect, for eg; Esau (Heb 12:16-17), Judas (Mat 27:4-5) can only show remorse/worldly sorrow, but not genuine repentance/godly sorrow. Genuine repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the Elect. In this account we witness the plundering of the “strong man’s palace”. As Isa 53:12 declares, Christ "shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors". The “strong man” is Satan; his “palace”, or house, represents his kingdom, where we all start (Col 1:13), that Christ vanquished at the Cross. The “darkness” and “power of Satan” that underlies an unsaved person’s life are carefully delineated in 1 Cor 6:9-11. In order to defeat Satan "and divideth his spoils", Christ had to became sin for every true Christian; and then had to suffer the equivalent of eternal damnation on their behalf. In accordance with God’s salvation program, all of God’s Elect throughout history are being “freed” from Satan’s prison, as we learn from a citation that outlines the Savior’s divine mission in Isa 61:1.

Luke 23:32, 39-43 “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death… And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Mark 15:27-28,32 “And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors… 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mark 3:26-27 “And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”

Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man [Satan] armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger [Lord Jesus Christ] than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”

1 Pet 2:21-24 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us [true believers], leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him [God the Father] that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose [Christ’s] stripes ye were healed.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

1 Cor 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Col 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

Eph 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

He hath Poured out His Soul unto Death

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:07:00 +0000

Wages of Sin is Eternal Death - We read in 1 Cor 15:56 that “the sting of death is sin…”. In this verse, as well as many others in the Bible, we notice that God is linking death to sin. Because of this fact, we know that God is not referring to physical death but to spiritual death, which is ultimately the eternal “second death”, or Hell. Jam 1:15 also expresses the same idea as it pinpoints the origin and progression of all sin: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”. Another significant passage is Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. The reason this is so is because sin, by biblical definition, is the transgression of God’s Law, as stated in 1 John 3:4, an exceedingly relevant verse: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. You and I are fully aware that when we break one of the laws of our land there will be consequences, and in the case of sin the consequences are eternal in duration and intensity. The Bible informs us that we cannot serve two masters “sin unto death” and “obedience unto righteousness”. Rom 7:5 explains, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death”. To be “in the flesh” signifies that we are not saved; however, to be “in the spirit” is language that refers to somebody that has become a child of God. In John 3:6 the Bible declares, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” and verse 7 continues, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. The Bible has so much to say with regard to our sinfulness, and by the same token, much to say about God’s love – the only solution to our sin problem.

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Rom 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man [speaking of Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…”

Rom 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Gal 6:7-8 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Rev 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

No Mercy Without Judgment - Our sin is like an insurmountable debt of infinite proportions that can never be paid, as Mat 18:34 explains, “And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him”. Everything in the Scriptures shows us that God is not to be trifled with or lightly esteemed. It is no wonder that the Bible uses such horrific language as “…Vengeance is mine, I will repay…” found in Rom 12:19; and Heb 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”. Eternal God is a God of Law, and the Bible is His Law Book. God created the universe and established His physical, moral, and spiritual laws according to His infinite wisdom and sovereign will. He enforces His rules for His righteous purposes and for His glory according to His standards of perfect justice. Every sin we commit is a transgression of God’s Law, as we read in 1 John 3:4. Therefore, every sin is judged by God Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ, as John 5:22 declares. The “wicked” in Psa 9:17 are all those from all the nations of the world who are unsaved on Judgment Day: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God”. Hell is terrible, and it exists because God created man to be accountable to God for his actions, because God’s perfect justice demands payment for sin. However, before God will send anyone to Hell that person must be tried and found guilty of committing a crime. Sadly for us all, a guilty verdict is certain, as James 2:10 states: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”. Ultimately, God alone gives or takes away physical life; but what is infinitely more important is the state of our soul, according to Mat 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. Only those whose names are written in the “Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27) will be spared the eternal anguish of Hell, which is figuratively called the “lake of fire” in Rev 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”. Remember that references to “fire” and “smoke” in the Bible are often used to symbolize the wrath of God. Consider the testimony of Him, Who as the Judge of all the earth, is soon to appear to both try and condemn all who have not been clothed with His glorious righteousness in the sobering words of Rev 19:11-21. Is God justified in His anger? The answer is definitely yes! Gen 18:25b asks the rhetorical question, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Rom 3:5b-6 poses the question, and then proceeds to answer it: “Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?” Ultimately, everything that God does is for His Own glory. And that is certainly true of His anger, which will be vindicated.

John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”

Acts 17:31 “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Lord Jesus Christ] whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Luke12:4-5 “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him [God], which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Rom 9:22 “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction…”

Rev 19:11-16, 20-21 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

He Hath Poured Out His Soul Unto Death - So, where does mercy come into the picture? God’s Laws are a reflection of His righteousness, and God has bound Himself to execute judgment righteously. That means there can be no “plea bargains” and no “pardons” at the Judgment Seat of Christ – the penalty for sin must be paid. But God, by His grace, love, and mercy, did pay the penalty of eternal damnation for His people through the atoning work of Jesus Christ at the cross. What exactly did Christ offer? The Lord Jesus Christ was made sin and became a curse as He poured out His soul – that is, His life – for those whom He came to save. Now, that is the greatest act of mercy in the history of the world. God’s Mercy is Predicated on the Atoning Work of His Son as we read in Heb 2:17. 1 Cor 15:22-25 asserts: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”. In other words, all those in Adam die and all those in Christ shall be made alive again. Who are these “all” that are recipients of God’s mercy? We read these words in Mic 7:18, “…and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage”. The “remnant of his heritage” refers to those whose sins God has forgiven – those upon whom God has bestowed His gift of salvation. First and foremost, it was the will of God, as we see in Gal 1:4. Secondly, it was the love of God as Rom 5:8 and Eph 5:25-27 states. Thirdly, He had to do what man was utterly incapable of doing as Tit 3:5 reveals. Fourthly, it was done in humble obedience, as Php 2:8 indicates. There is a specific moment in time that God applies His Word to the heart of each individual He plans to save (the elect) and gives him spiritual hearing. That is when God makes him a true believer. That is when he passes from “death” unto “life”. That is the moment of the spiritual “first resurrection” of the soul of each believer from the dead, as we see in John 5:24-25. John 11:25-26 emphasize the fact that true believers, who have been spiritually resurrected from “the dead” (that is, from their natural spiritually dead condition), will never have to face eternal death again because God has given them eternal life, as we read in Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. To summarize, man either pays the penalty of the second death himself or Jesus Christ the Savior pays it for him. There are no other options. However, if we are not saved during our temporal lifetimes, we will have to stand for judgment and experience the “second death” in the “lake of fire”, where there is no hope of salvation forevermore. The good news is if Christ is your Savior, then He was laden with your sins; He stood for judgment in your place; He was found guilty; He paid the penalty for your sins; and you have eternal life that can never be lost. The bad news is if Christ is not your Savior, you will experience the “resurrection of damnation”; you will stand before the Judgment Throne of Christ; you will be found guilty; and you will pay the penalty of the “second death” yourself. That is the two-edged Gospel message of salvation. It is indeed “a matter of life or death”.

Matt 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”

Matt 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

John 10:11,15,17-18 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep… Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Heb 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him [Jesus Christ] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people”

Gal 1:4 “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world: according to the will of God and our Father.”

Rom 5:8 “But God commendeth [exhibits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Php 2:8 “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself; and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Mic 7:18 “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”

Psa 86:13 “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

1 Pet 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit…”

John 5:24-25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

My Righteous Servant Shall Justify Many

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:38:00 +0000

My Righteous Servant Shall Justify Many - We read this intriguing question in Job 15:14 reveals, “What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” and in Job 25:4a, “How then can man be justified with God…?”. Unfortunately, in our day and throughout history, man has been actively engaged in the sinful pursuit of developing various “religions” and man-made “salvation” programs. The fact remains that man cannot be righteous by anything he does on his own. Isa 64:6 affirms, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away”. With respect to these “do-it-yourself” efforts, God declares in Luke 16:15, “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God”. Pro 20:9 asks, “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”. Then how can one be justified or made righteous in the eyes of God? Rom 3:20-25 declares, “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight”, but we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. The Bible outlines for us the profound truths that Christ, Who is Eternal God, had to empty Himself of His glory to take on human flesh as the Ultimate Servant. He had to become sin and then – the greatest mystery of all – He had to suffer the unimaginable agony of everlasting Hell for His elect people to procure their righteousness and eternal salvation. What is the significance of the phrase, “a minister [or servant] of the circumcision for the truth of God” in Rom 15:8? Circumcision has to do with “cutting off”, and Christ was “cut off” when He suffered Hell for His people, as Isa 53:8 reveals. We have been looking at some verses that feature the word “many”, and there are numerous other passages that feature the word “all” as well with reference to salvation. However, these can only be understood properly by comparing Scripture with Scripture and see how God qualifies the word “all” with regard to all of the elect. Take the case of 2 Tim 4:8: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Php 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Isa 42:1-4 “Behold my servant [Lord Jesus Christ], whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”

Rom 15:8 “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he [Lord Jesus Christ] was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Rom 3:20-25 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

He bare the Sin of Many, and made Intercession for the Transgressors - We read in Rom 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous”. What the “first man” (or Adam) failed to accomplish, the “second man” (or the Lord Jesus) gloriously fulfilled. Heb 7:25 explains, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”. Also, 1 Pet 3:18 serves to identify Christ’s redemption for His people, who are referred to as the “unjust”, from sin, spiritual death, and Hell, as follows: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit”. Here we see the greatest exchange that has ever taken place in this universe. Here we see righteous God, Who is holy, pure, and sinless become unholy, impure, and sinful. Simultaneously, we see unrighteous unsaved man, who by nature is unholy, impure, and sinful become holy, pure, and sinless by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that is given, or imputed, to him. In other words, those who are “justified” (or “made righteous”) have had their sins forgiven like the publican who was “justified” (or saved) in Luke 18:14, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other…”. Isa 53:11, describes the mission of the Lord Jesus: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities”. God is identifying justification with sin-bearing and by extension with the payment for sins, as we also learn from 2 Cor 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. This underscores the fact that God is incapable of merely “pronouncing” a person to be “righteous” or “holy” without His divine justice being actually satisfied. What this signified is that the punishment for sin – eternal damnation – must be paid either by the Lord Jesus or by each guilty human being himself. Of course, Christ made that payment for all of God's Elect. The “travail”, or “work”, that Christ had to endure was eternal damnation, which the Bible calls the “second death” in Rev 21:8. Psa 130:3 poses the very relevant question, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” Indeed, the Lord Jesus was able to successfully atone for the sins of His people as Isa 53:11 so triumphantly announces. Lord Jesus was not only a spotless passover lamb but also a high priest who makes intercession for His Elect. All who do not possess the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior will hear the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Judge in Mat 7:22-23 echoing throughout eternity: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”.

Isa 59:16-17 “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [LORD] hath made him [Lord Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Isa 53:11 “He [LORD] shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister [as a servant], and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Heb 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Mat 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

1 Pet 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Heb 7:24-26 “But this man [Lord Jesus Christ], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”

He shall Divide the Spoil with the Strong - In the Luke 11:21-22 account we witness the plundering of the “strong man’s palace”. In this context the “strong man” is Satan; his “palace”, or house, represents his kingdom, where we all start (Col 1:13), that Christ vanquished at the Cross. In accordance with God’s salvation program, all of God’s elect throughout history are being “freed” from Satan’s prison, as we learn from a citation that outlines the Savior’s divine mission in Isa 61:1. The “darkness” and “power of Satan” that underlies an unsaved person’s life are carefully delineated in 1 Cor 6:9-11. In order to defeat Satan, Christ had to became sin for every true Christian; and then had to suffer the equivalent of eternal damnation on their behalf, as expressed by His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (which means “winepress”) as Heb 5:7 relates: “Who [Jesus] in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;” Although Christ defeated Satan in real time at the Cross, Jesus spoke of Satan’s impending downfall as if it had already happened in Luke 10:18, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” and affirmed in John 12:31, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out”. Satan was spiritually “bound” at the cross and through out during the New Testament “Church Age” and is released for a “little season” during great tribulation, to deceive the nations – but his doom is sealed. He will be judged on the Last Day and be cast into the eternal “lake of fire”, as we read in Rev 20:7-10.

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him [Lord Jesus] a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong [Satan]; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mark 3:26-27 “And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”

Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man [Satan] armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger [Lord Jesus Christ] than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

1 Cor 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Col 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Rev 20:7-10 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

It Pleased the LORD to Bruise Him. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:57:00 +0000

Thou Shalt Make His Soul an Offering for Sin - In Mat 1:21, we learn, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. The only way that He could save His people from their sins, was to become sin on their behalf. This is why He is “…the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. He forfeited His own Soul (Life or Spirit) in the Atonement in order to ransom His people from slavery to Satan and bondage to sin, as Isa 53:12 expresses: “... he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many ...”. Thus the Lord Jesus was intimately identified with all the ceremonial offerings and sacrifices in the Old Testament, which all pointed to Him. Heb 10:11-18 further explains the rich significance of His infinite Sacrifice. We must remember that Christ’s greatest suffering in the Atonement was spiritual – not physical. That is, He was under tremendous stress and turmoil in His soul existence because He was undergoing the fiery blast furnace of God’s eternal wrath – the equivalent of eternity in Hell – to pay for the sins of those God chose to save from before the foundation of the world. Jesus also spoke of eternal damnation in Hell as being in the “heart of the earth” in Mat 12:39-40, referring to the account in Jon 2:1-2. The agony of Lord Jesus under the wrath of God started in Garden of Gethsemane. A very significant passage is Zec 13:7, which foretells the account of all the Disciples who forsook the Lord when He allowed Himself to be voluntarily captured in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones”. God is again reminding us that He is wielding the Sword of the Spirit – the Law of God – which is bringing judgment upon “… my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow…”. Luke 22:44 serves to highlight the unspeakable agony that Christ had to undergo in order to accomplish the salvation of His people (the elect): “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground”. Mat 26:39 continues, “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”. Psa 75:8 reveals what that “cup” contained and what was transpiring spiritually: “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them”. This refers to the “cup” of the eternal wrath of God. Christ’s sufferings commenced in the Garden of Gethsemane, which means “winepress”, where he drank that cup for each [born-again] Christian. Isa 63:1-5 helps us to gain a deeper appreciation of what this means. Grapes being crushed in a winepress symbolizes “shedding of blood”, or “death”. It is a vivid picture of the incomprehensible anguish associated with the “second death” in hell that awaits everyone who has not become a child of God.

Isa 53:10 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Mat 26:39, 42, 44 “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt… He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done… And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”

John 18:11 “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”

Psa 75:7-9 “But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 8For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. 9But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob [Jacob typifying the Elect].”

Rev 14:10 “The same [unsaved, for whom Christ didn’t drink the cup] shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:”

Jon 2:1-2 “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, 2And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”

Mat 12:39-40 “But he [Jesus] answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas [or Jonah]: 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man [Jesus Christ] be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Isa 63:1-5 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

He Shall See His Seed - Abraham, of course, is the progenitor of national Israel. The Jewish people have, therefore always assumed that they are the seed of promise. Since the Old Testament Scriptures make up over 70 percent of the Bible, those who fail to recognize the typology between the OT and NT miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program. For eg; in Gal 4:22-28, Hagar and her children and Sarah and her children are two covenants, “Which things are an allegory [typifying the two Gospels, the gospel of works where people trying to get right by keeping the law of God and the Gospel of grace where people are saved by God’s grace and mercy. In Genesis 17 God further told Abraham that he is making “everlasting covenant”. The word “everlasting” immediately tells us that “thy seed” there refers to those who are in Christ, because they are the only ones who will inherit the new heaven and the new earth, as everything on this earth will be destroyed by fire on the last day (2 Pet 3:10). The seed in Christ are who are saved by grace through faith, which is the gift of God. God specified in His will that the beneficiaries were to be Abraham and his seed. In Gal 3:16, the apostle calls particular attention to the word “seed”, as distinguished from “seeds”. And that singular seed that God had in Christ, NOT all the blood descendants of Abraham. The promises, as we learned in earlier, is the free gift of eternal life. As the testator of the will, Christ had to die to activate the bequest (Heb 9:15-17). But because Lord Jesus Christ is testator of the Will and also a Beneficiary of that will and because the Lord Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham, all those who are in Christ are joint heirs according to the promise.

Isa 53:10 "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee [or Satan] and the woman [the elect], and between thy [or Satan’s] seed and her seed; it [referring to Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ’s] heel.”

Gal 3:15-22, 29 “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Heb 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

Rom 9:7-13 “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac [typifying Christ, Gal 3:16] shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob [typifying all the Elect] have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

The Pleasure of the LORD Shall Prosper in His Hand - Considering that man is born spiritually dead as a result of sin and is under the just wrath of God, it is staggering to think that God would save anybody – but He does. He first included them in His will, which is also known as the Lamb’s Book of Life! The Heirs for this eternal glory are completely unworthy. Heb 7:22 declares, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament”. Heb 12:24 also explains, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel”. Both “covenant” and “testament” refer to a will, and we see that Heb 9:15-17 speaks about the “testator”, or maker of the will, who “by means of death” secured the “promise of eternal inheritance” of the beneficiaries named in the will. John 10:18 further illustrates the fact that Christ laid down His life voluntarily: “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father”. The reason this statement is so significant is that, Jesus is asserting that this power to lay down His life and take it again is a commandment that He has received from God the Father. From the moment of His divine conception by the Holy Spirit until He voluntarily gave up the Spirit, every thought, every word, every action that Jesus ever committed was done to the absolute glory and praise of God, His Heavenly Father. Listen to the words of Heb 10:7: “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God”. The Lord Jesus Christ not only obeyed every “jot and tittle” in the Scriptures, but He came to fulfill them, as Mat 5:17 indicates: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil”. The Lord Jesus is even typified by the pagan king, Cyrus, in Isa 44:28, “… He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem [typifying bride of Christ], Thou shalt be built; and to the temple [typifying the believers, body of Christ] , Thy foundation shall be laid”. 2 Cor 6:16 informs us that believers “…are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”.

Isa 53:10 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Heb 9:15-17 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”

Heb 10:8-10 “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

He shall See of the Travail of His Soul, and shall be Satisfied - The heirs named in God’s Will, or Testament, have been granted eternal pardon by God Himself through the atoning work of Christ, as we read in Psa 103:3-4: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”. 1 John 4:10 maintains, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins”. In John 10:11 Jesus proclaims, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”. Keep in mind that Christ was enduring the wrath of God because He had become sin for His people, to have their sins paid for in order to satisfy God’s justice. What this signified is that the punishment for sin – eternal damnation – must be paid either by the Lord Jesus or by each guilty human being himself. This underscores the fact that God is incapable of merely “pronouncing” a person to be “righteous” or “holy” without His divine justice being actually satisfied. Of course, Christ made that payment for all who are named in the Will. He drank the cup of God’s Wrath that’s reserved for them and gave them the cup of His blood that they might have everlasting life. Psa 32:1-2 further reveals, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile”. Lord GOD do not delight in the destruction of a sinner (Eze 33:11) but delight in saving a sinner (Luke 15:7), in having people for himself. Heb 10:16-18 emphasizes the total forgiveness that God bestows upon those whom He has elected to save from sin and eternal damnation. Christ’s atoning death completely satisfied the demands of the Law of God. Because God Almighty poured out His eternal vengeance on His own dear Son, whom He loves with an everlasting love, we can know with absolute assurance that each unsaved human being on Judgment Day “… shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” according to Rev 14:10.

Isa 53:10-11 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail [or work] of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

John 6:53-54 “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

1 Cor 11:25 “After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Heb 10:11-18 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Rev 1:5-6 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”

He Made His Grave with the Wicked. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:59:00 +0000

He Made His Grave with the Wicked and with the Rich in His Death - Once mankind fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, the whole human race became infected with a terrible disease – a sin nature – causing every individual to be by nature and practice wickedness (although not as wicked as they could be because of God’s restraint). That is why Jer 17:9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”. God describes the condition of an unsaved person’s heart very early in the Bible in Gen 6:5: “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. We also know that man is spiritually dead from conception, as we find in Psa 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”. The big problem that man faces is, his inability to see his own sinfulness. He is blinded to it. In fact, he actually thinks he is “righteous”, or “good” , or “spiritually rich”. In Pro 30:12 one discovers, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness”. People who are trusting in their own works are “pure in their own eyes”, but are “filthy” in God’s eyes (Isa 64:6). The “trouble” that mankind faces is the penalty of their sin which awaits them, which is the wrath of God. In Nah 1:3 we read, “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked …” We also read in Psa 7:11 “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day”. God does not delight in punishing those that are not His people; and yet sin has to be dealt with. We find these words in Eze 33:11, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live ...”. The “wicked” in Psa 9:17 are all those from all the nations of the world who are unsaved on Judgment Day: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God”. The “death” in view here is “second death”, eternal punishment (Hell). Job 24:19 says, “Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned”. So what is the hope for this wicked man? 1 Pet 3:18 reveals: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust [wicked], that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit …”. Col 1:21-22 affirms, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight ...”. Christ has to be numbered with the wicked and suffer the punishment reserved for the wicked, to make the wicked righteous. To symbolize this, we learn in Mat 27 that the Lord Jesus was placed in the new tomb of a wealthy man, Joseph of Arimathaea.

Isa 53:9 “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”

Psa 36:1-4 “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he [Christ] hath poured out his soul [second death] unto death : and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Psa 88:1-8 [Messianic] “O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them [wicked] that go down into the pit [grave]: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.”

Mat 27:57-60 “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.”

He Had Done No Violence, Neither was Any Deceit in His Mouth - We have just looked at the wickedness of man, and how Christ came to redeem the wicked, as Acts10:38 teaches, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him”. “He had done no violence” but He went doing about only good. 1 Pet 2:22-25 says: “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him [God] that judgeth righteously ...”. His mission is outlined in Luke 4:18. Heb 1:9 declares, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows”. “Neither was any deceit in his mouth” – indeed, we discover in John 1:14,“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” After all, would we expect anything less from the One Who proclaimed Himself to be “… the way, the truth, and the life…” according to John 14:6? 1 John 3:5 further states, “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin”. Heb 4:15 gives more evidence: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin”. Not only was Christ the sinless High Priest, He was also the sinless Sacrifice as1 Pet 1:18-19 explains.

Isa 53:9 “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”

John 18:10-11 “Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”

Luke 4:18 (quoting Isa 61:1-3) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised; ....”

1 Pet 2:22-25 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him [God] that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

1 Pet 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot …”

Yet it Pleased the LORD to Bruise Him; He Hath Put Him to Grief - Pilate, the Roman governor (who typified God the Father) was authorized to pass judgment on God the Son, Who stood apparently innocent before him, as Jesus declares in John 19:11: “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he [God] that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin”. Though Jesus had no sin of His Own, He had become sin for all the elect. Thus, He was found guilty by His beloved Father, and was required to suffer the penalty of everlasting Hell. Messianic Psalm 109 helps us to see the agony of Christ, who is absolutely Holy and sinless in bearing our sins. He was laden with our sins. He was made sin for us that we might be made Righteous. 2 cor 5:21 affirms “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. “Bruised” (daka 1792) is translated as “break in pieces”, “crush”, “bruise”, “destroy”, “humbled” and “contrite”. We must remember that Christ’s greatest suffering in the Atonement was spiritual – not physical. That is, He was under tremendous stress and turmoil in His soul existence because He was undergoing the fiery blast furnace of God’s eternal wrath – the equivalent of eternity in Hell – to pay for the sins of those God chose to save from before the foundation of the world. Ecc 2:22-23 is a vivid picture of the fallen human condition: “For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity”. God is incapable of merely “pronouncing” a “wicked” person destined to the “grave” to be “righteous” or “holy” without His divine justice being actually satisfied. What this signified is that the punishment for sin – eternal damnation – must be paid either by the Lord Jesus or by each guilty human being himself. Because God bruised his Son and put him to grief, you and I can stand justified before God. Isa 53:3 depicts both the rejection of Christ by man and ultimately the eternal abandonment by God His Father: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not”. The magnificent work of salvation that the Lord Jesus accomplished is so unique, so unparalleled, so surpassing that mere human words cannot be found to describe it – we can only turn to the words of the Bible and look in wonder and stare at Him, Who is portrayed in Isa 53:4, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted”.

Isa 53:3-5, 10 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus Christ], because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Hosanna in the Highest.

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Passover Lamb of God - Palm Sunday, the day when that Passover lamb was selected, was an integral part of the Cross. We first read about the establishment of the Passover in Exodus 12. On the tenth day of the first month of the year (five days before passover), every family was required to choose a lamb for passover, per the instructions given by God. It is extremely significant that as the lambs were being slain in the temple for the Jewish Passover, that the Lord Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God, Who was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8) – was hanging on the Cross. He was fulfilling all the particulars related to the Passover lamb, which God had expressed in the Exodus 12. At the time when Israel departed out of Egypt, it was the Passover; it was the blood of the lamb applied to the door post that would cause God to skip over the judgement. This is what the word “passover” actually means, “to leap”, “to go over”. Actually, it all pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God, as John the Baptist announced, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. When Abraham was ready to offer up Isaac, remember what Abraham said to Isaac?, “God will provide Himself a lamb”. Lord Jesus Christ is that “Lamb”. This is how a sinner — and it is the only way — can escape the judgment of God. It is only through His blood that anyone can find forgiveness and have their sins washed away and be cleansed. In principle, the Lord Jesus Christ paid for the sins of His people even before He created this magnificently complex universe. Notice the emphasis that is placed on the timing of this wonderful Salvation plan, “from the foundation of the world”. The Passover lamb in Exo 12:5 was to be “without blemish” because it symbolized the perfect nature and work of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats”. This typology is confirmed in the New Testament by 1 Pet 1:18-19, that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”.

Exo 12:3, 5-7, 12-13 “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

Gen 22:7-8 “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”

1 Pet 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

1 Cor 5:7-8 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Hosanna in the Highest - Palm Sunday is the day of the Lord Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. On the Palm Sunday, why were the palm branches waved and thrown on the ground in front of the Jesus riding on ass? because true believers are likened to palm trees as seen in Psa 92:12 “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon”. This is also symbolized in Deu 34:3-4, to the promised land - “Jericho, the city of palm trees”. Why did Jesus sit on an ass on that Sunday and ride into Jerusalem triumphantly? because He had salvation, because He was meek and lowly, and because He came to save those who were unclean, according to Zec 9:9: “... behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass”. “Blessed is he that cometh” in Psa 118:26, is really pointing to one of the greatest truths, that God promised to send a Savior, from the very beginning — “before the foundation of the world”, yet in “the fulness of the time was come”, Galatians tells us, the Lord Jesus entered the human race. Hos 13:4 declares, “Yet I am the LORD thy God [‘Elohim, or God plural] from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me”. The Hebrew name for “Jesus” (or “Joshua”) – that is, the name Jesus, or Yehowshuwa’ (H3091), means “Jehovah is salvation”. The LORD of the Old Testament (Jehovah) is God the Son, Jesus Christ as we read in Mat 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”. Luke 2:11 declares, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. On Palm Sunday as He ride into Jerusalem triumphantly, He is being hailed, “Hosanna”, “Hosanna”: “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13). The Hebrew word “hósanna” (H:5614) – a transliteration of two Hebrew words yasha’ (H:3467) and na’ (H:4994) meaning “Oh, save now!” or “Please save!”. This word is also translated as “I beseech thee” as we can see this in Psa 118:25 which is quoted in John 12:13.. They were saying this because they knew that the promised Messiah was the One in their midst, right in front of them. The procession took place in Bethany: “Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany ...” (John 12:1), the name of the town itself, means “the house of dates”. Waving a big palm branch symbolizes worship, victory and rejoicing as we see in Rev 7:9-10. The victory being spoken is Christ’s victory over sin, Satan and the grave. The two donkeys, unclean and lowly animal, pictured here represent the true believers who have been made “meek” or “saved” by their King. He sits and rules upon them as He rides triumphantly into new Jerusalem – the holy city from heaven. To “sit” is figuratively associated with “ruling”, or “reigning”, as Christ most certainly does over His eternal church – Daughter of Zion or Daughter of Jerusalem – “The Bride of Christ” (Rev 21:2). If you are saved, you will eventually wind up with a “white robe” and palms in your hands in Heaven, praising and worshiping God, as seen in Rev 7:9-14.

Psa 118:25-26 “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.”

Matt 21:5, 9 “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

Zec 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion [typifying Bride of Christ]; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem [typifying Bride of Christ]: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

Rev 7:9-14 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

He was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 04:16:00 +0000

He was Taken from Prison - When was Jesus “in prison”? It is true that He was in custody as He appeared before the high priest, and later before Pilate to be judged, and He was mocked and beaten by the Praetorian guard, but He was never in prison. So, to what is this referring? However, this not talking about Christ being in prison; rather, it is speaking of the believers, who prior to salvation are held captive by Satan, their spiritual father, in his prison and are enslaved to sin. Those who remain in Satan’s dominion are likened to prisoners, according to 2 Tim 2:26b, “… who are taken captive by him at his will”. Isa 14:16-17 gives further information regarding Satan: “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?”. Let’s consider Exo 13:14, which speaks historically of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt: “And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage”. Spiritually this “house of bondage” refers to unsaved man’s enslavement to sin, and subsequent punishment of eternal damnation. However, in order to save His people from eternal damnation the Lord Himself had to become sin; and, as such, He was liable for the penalty of sin, which is eternal Hell. Thus, He was spiritually in prison on behalf of each Christian, as He bore the infinite wrath of God in their place.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Isa 42:1-7 “Behold my servant [God the Son], whom I [God the Father] uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Lord Jesus Christ]; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

Col 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Who Shall Declare His Generation? - In Isa 53:8 the question is asked, “…who shall declare his generation?” What generation is in view here? His generation is “Righteous” as opposed to the evil generation mentioned in Luke 11:29. Psa 95:10 refers to the Israelites in the wilderness: “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err [go astray] in their heart, and they have not known my ways”. Messianic Psalm 22, describes the agony that was inflicted upon the Lord, by which he was able to attain and impute Righteousness on His Elect. Although Christ was laden with and suffered for the sins of His people, God “defended” His cause “against an ungodly nation” (which refers to Satan’s ungodly kingdom) because He was absolutely righteous in Himself; and that is why He was not consumed by God’s wrath. We see the battle between Christ and Satan for the souls of the elect depicted in Isa 49:25: “But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives [the elect] of the mighty [Satan] shall be taken away, and the prey [the elect] of the terrible [Satan] shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth [Satan] with thee [Jesus Christ], and I will save thy children [the elect]”. The Lord Jesus Christ was victorious in the Atonement – the proof of which was His physical resurrection from the dead. It indicated that God’s righteous judgment was satisfied, or propitiated, by Christ’s sacrifice, as we read in Rom 3:23-25. Notice that one of the purposes of the “propitiation” was to declare – that is, to “demonstrate” or to “prove” – the righteousness of Christ for His glory and honor. In the New Testament the believer, who is covered with Christ's Robe of Righteousness, is called to be an “ambassador for Christ” to “declare his righteousness”.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Luke 11:29-32 “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”

Psa 22:30-31 “A seed [God the Son] shall serve him [God the Father]; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.”

Rom 3:23-25 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

2 Cor 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

He was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living - Num 15:31 warns, “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him”. All who have broken even one of God’s commandments, or laws, are guilty of breaking them all, as Jam 2:10 warns: “For whosoever
shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”. Furthermore, since this is the lot of all mankind, who are conceived in sin and born in iniquity according to Psa 51:5 – they will be cut off. To be “cut off” is language that speaks of being cast into Hell – the penalty you and I deserve for the transgressions we commit. Psa 52:1-7 paints a similar picture of human depravity. That is also why Christ, Who was laden with the iniquity of His people, had to be “cut off”, or separated from God, out of the “land of the living” (referring to heaven). Dan 9:26, speaking of the Messiah – the Lord Jesus proclaims: “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: ...” . In other words, He had to endure the eternal wrath of God for those He came to save. Circumcision, or the cutting away of the flesh, was a sign that could never save anyone, but it served to point to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus who was spiritually “cut off” by having to endure Hell for His people. Messianic Psalm Psa 88:1-8 paints the picture of Christ being cut off on behalf of his children. For whom Jesus was “cut off” will be preserved and the other unsaved will be “cut off” as Psa 37:28 teaches, “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off”. Psa 116:9 speaks of those who have been granted entrance into the “land of the living” - kingdom of God, by the sacrifice of Christ: “I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living”.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Psa 52:1-7 “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. 6The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

Psa 88:1-8 [Messianic] “O LORD God of my salvation, I [Lord Jesus Christ] have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.”

Lam 3:1, 5, 15, 19, 53, 55 “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath… 5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail ... 15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood… 19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall … 53They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. 55I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.”

For the Transgression of My People was He Stricken - Isa 1:3-6 paints a despicable, but very accurate, portrayal of those who were identified as the people of God. But, lest we despair, it is also a stupendous illustration of God’s magnificent salvation by grace alone that he laid these transgressions on His Son to grant us entrance into the “land of the living”. God alone has provided the only escape from the damnation of Hell. The reality is that only God could provide such an escape. Man is incapable of providing a solution for his sin problem because he is spiritually dead. When the disciples asked the Lord Jesus Christ, “Who then can be saved?”, the Lord declared in Mark 10:26-27, “… With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible”. But what does that actually signify? It means that God had to become a man, had to become sin, and had to suffer the equivalent of eternity in Hell for the sins of all His people. Which is why Acts 4:12 declares, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. Wonderfully, the Bible declares in Jon 2:9, “Salvation is of the Lord”. We cannot understand or imagine that a Holy, Righteous God would show such love, such compassion, and such mercy to fallen human beings who hated God and were in rebellion against Him, that He would suffer the wrath of God on their behalf in order to declare them righteous, or holy, like God Himself. These people are God’s elect – His sheep, the true Christians, the spiritual Jews – that the Bible talks about. And do they deserve such salvation? Absolutely not. It is all of grace – it is all of mercy – in order that God may alone receive all glory, honor, and praise for His gift of salvation (Tit 3:5-7, Eph 2:8-9, 1 Cor1:26-31). We see this truth dramatically illustrated in Eze 37:1-4 and 12-14, where God speaks of His elect, the Israel of God, whom He saves. Mat 1:21 explains this very mission of the Lord Jesus in coming to earth: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people [His Elect] from their sins”.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Isa 1:3-6 “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel [typifying His Elect] doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”

Eze 37:12-14 “Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel [typifying the land of the living]. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live…”

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [Lord Jesus Christ atoning work] shall be peace [peace between God and man]; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places [land of the living].”

Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

The LORD hath Laid on Him the Iniquity of US all. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:02:00 +0000

All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray - Isa 53:6 declares, “All we like sheep have gone astray ... ”. Eze 34:31 explains that “sheep” represent true believers: “And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD”. Psa 79:13 affirms, “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations”. All through the Bible we frequently find references to God’s redeemed people as “sheep”; even the elect prior to their salvation are thus typified, according to Isa 53:6. What does it mean to go “astray”? A similar passage is found in Psa 119:176: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments”. In this verse God adds the very important adjective “lost”; furthermore, the next phrase, “seek thy servant”, emphasizes the fact that God does all the work of salvation, including drawing His Elect. Before God saves someone, he is a “lost sheep” who has gone astray. He is spiritually dead and is absolutely helpless to contribute anything towards his salvation. By nature, all men prior to salvation are born spiritually dead and spiritually blind and under Satan’s authority, as 2 Cor 4:4 indicates. The phrase “gone astray” (taah 8582) in Isa 53:6 is also translated as “err” in Psa 95:10 that refers to the Israelites in the wilderness. Mark 12:24 reveals why we “err” or “go astray”: “And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?”. Mat 18:11 pinpoints the reason the Savior came to this sin-cursed earth: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost”. John 10:26-30 attests to God’s infinite love, mercy, and grace to save His lost sheep from perishing in Hell: “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”.

Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Psa 58:3 “The wicked [unsaved] are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

Psa 95:10 “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation [Israelites], and said, It is a people that do err (taah 8582) in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”

2 Cor 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Every One to His Own Way - Isa 53:6 declares, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way ...”. In reality, there is only one way to God – God’s Way – as outlined in the Bible. The problem lies within man, who has “corrupted”, or as it is more commonly translated, “destroyed” God’s Way, as Gen 6:12 asserts: “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth”. Concerning the nation of Israel – and, by extension, the institutional churches and denominations of our day – Hos 10:13 (A parallel citation is in Zec 1:4) declares, that they have left the God’s way: “... ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way ...”. To not “hear” spiritually in this verse, of course, is a dreadful situation, since the Bible underscores that “… faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. And without “faith” (salvation) man cannot “hearken” (obey) God’s Word (Rom 8:6-9). In Mark 7:6-9, it is clear that the Lord Jesus Christ rebuked the religious leaders of God’s Old Testament church (national Israel) as well as today’s New Testament Church leaders for their unfaithfulness to the Word of God and their man-made religious laws and traditions. To emphasize His condemnation of their attitudes and actions, He called them “hypocrites”, “blind guides”, and “fools”. God used the Scribes and Pharisees – the religious leaders of Jesus’ day – to depict the nature of all false brethren who have fallen prey to Satan’s deceptive doctrines and who attempt to teach error - unbiblical ideas about spiritual matters, to others. Sadly, there have always been those who masquerade as God’s servants, who are still in Satan’s kingdom (unsaved) and are his unwitting ambassadors (2 Cor 11:14). This phenomenon is even more pernicious in our day. Mat 24:21-24 warns of this “Great Tribulation”: “... For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect...”. The popularity of most false gospels can generally be attributed to their appeals to man’s pride and basic sensual desires for political freedom, economic security and good health. It is a very dangerous thing to be an unsaved, self-proclaimed “teacher” of the Scriptures. In Jam 3:1 God indicates there will be a “greater condemnation” in Hell for those hypocrites who handle His Word carelessly. Eze 34:10-11 attests to God’s infinite love, mercy, and grace to save His lost sheep from perishing in Hell: “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.”

Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Hos 10:13 “Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.”

Zec 1:4 “Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.”

Isa 9:13-16 “For the people turneth not unto… the LORD of hosts. Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.”

Jer 23:32 “Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err [go astray] by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.”

Isa 28:7 “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink [false doctrines] are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up [err’d] of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.”

The Lord Hath Laid on Him the Iniquity of Us All - In John 18:37-38, Pontius Pilate reflected man’s confusion about it when he said, “What is truth?”. In John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. As we have seen above, without “faith” (salvation) man cannot “hearken” (obey) the truth - God’s Word (Rom 8:6-9). John 10:27 underscores “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me ...”. But how does one made the sheep of God? and how does one hear His voice? If we try to go beyond God’s revelations about “God’s salvation program” – no matter how “logical” we try to be – we quickly get into “error” (or “falsehood”), which is the opposite of Truth. The only way one can come to Truth about any Biblical subject is by carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture, as the Holy Spirit guides. Let’s look at John 6:44-45: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me”. The Lord Jesus frequently used the expression, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” as Mat 11:15 indicates. John 8:47 helps to clarify this: “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God”. Jesus also stated in John 8:43: “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word”. In Deu 29:4 we read, “Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day”. Here we see that spiritual ears (as well as a heart and eyes) must be given to us as a gift from God. “Faith” (salvation), “cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” and is indeed a gift that God bestows on all of His children in mercy, since the recipients of this wonderful gift are totally undeserving of it. We learn from Heb 12:14 which says “... holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”, that in order to enter Heaven one must be “holy” or “sanctified”; and the only way one can become holy is by being clothed with the holiness, or righteousness, of God Himself. To accomplish holiness for “His sheep”, Christ “washed them from their sins in his own blood” (Rev 1:5). Isa 53:6 conveys the astounding truth that Christ was laden with the sins of all the elect by the Father. The word “laid” (paga 6293) is rendered as “fall” – has to do with the “falling of judgment” and thus had to shoulder the unspeakable agony of eternal damnation on their behalf. 2 Cor 5:21 proclaims, “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. This is why Jesus’ mission to earth is described in Mat 1:21: “... he shall save his people from their sins”. He was not only the Savior, He was also the Sacrifice, or “scapegoat” symbolized in Lev 16:21-22. Psa 130:3 poses the very relevant question, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?”. Indeed, the Lord Jesus was able to successfully atone for the sins of His people as Isa 53:11 so triumphantly announces: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities”. The words “us” and “all” in these verses refer only to those “sheep” whom God saves – that is, the elect. 1 Pet 3:18 reveals: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit …”. 2 The 2:13 declares, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord [the sheep], because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”.

Lev 16:21-22 “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel [Israel of God symbolizing the Elect], and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat [Lamb of God symbolizing Christ] shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness [outer darkness symbolizing hell].”

Isa 53:5-6, 8, 11-12 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Heb 7:24-27 “But this man [Jesus], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

He was Wounded for OUR Transgressions.

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:11:00 +0000

He was Wounded for OUR Transgressions - The Hebrew word in Isa 53:5 for “wounded” (chalal 2490) is also translated as “polluted” or “defiled”: “But he was wounded [defiled or polluted] for our transgressions ...”. While Christ is certainly wounded on the physical level, if we keep in mind that the verse says, “he was wounded for our transgressions”, it will prove helpful in understanding the devastating spiritual ramifications. This is because our sins, or transgressions, are the cause of all spiritual pollution of Jesus Christ. We ourselves cannot truly comprehend the depths of our own depravity, as we are part of the problem. Jesus elaborates what defiles a man in Mat 15:18-20, which has to do with the state of our soul (or figuratively, our heart): “ ... out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man…”. God employs the metaphor of a “stony heart” to further emphasize unsaved man’s spiritual deadness (Eze 36:26). In Messianic Psalm 109 we also find the word “wounded” and helps us to see the agony of Christ, who is absolutely Holy and sinless in bearing our sins. He was laden with our sins. He was made sin for us that we might be made Righteous.

Mat 15:18-20 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man…”

Psa 109:21-27 “But do thou for me [speaking of Jesus Christ], O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded [defiled or polluted] within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.”

He was Bruised for OUR Iniquities - The Hebrew word “bruised” (daka 1792) in Isa 53:5 is translated as “break in pieces”, “crush”, “destroy”, “humbled” and “contrite”: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities”. This shows us how packed with meaning this word is, as are all of God’s holy and inspired words. In this citation God emphasizes the great humility that the Lord Jesus exhibited. The word “contrite” is employed in Isa 57:15: “... the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity... with him also that is of a contrite [daka bruised] and humble spirit”. Though Lord Jesus inhabited eternity, yet He indeed manifested a “... contrite and humble spirit ...”. It is utterly impossible for us – even if we are saved – to grasp the awesome reality of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible outlines for us the profound truths that Christ, Who is Eternal God, had to empty Himself of His glory to take on human flesh. He had to become sin and then – the greatest mystery of all – He had to suffer the unimaginable agony of everlasting Hell for His people to procure their eternal salvation. These passages substantiate the infinite degradation that the Lord Jesus subjected Himself to in experiencing the “lowest Hell”. With these verses in mind, may God give us an even greater appreciation for the thrust of Php 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite [daka bruised] and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite [daka bruised] ones.”

Isa 53:10 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him [Lord Jesus]; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Php 2:6-11 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Chastisement of OUR Peace was Upon Him - As “the Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6), Christ came to bring “peace”, it is a spiritual peace that ends the warfare between mankind and his Creator, God Almighty. Why does such “enmity”, or hatred, exist between man and God? It is because of our sin, which is sending us to Hell: “Because the carnal [unsaved] mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom 8:7). In spite of man’s sin and the resulting curse upon all mankind (Rom 5:12) and the universe that He brought into existence by His Word, God had conceived and executed an incredible plan to redeem, or reconcile, man to Himself through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ: “For as by one man’s [Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Christ] shall many be made righteous” (Rom 5:19). Christ’s death was the sole means that God decreed to reconcile every Christian to the Father, as Isa 53:5 dramatically points out: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”. Isaiah 53 reveals the great sufferings of Hell which Christ endured, the atoning work of the Lord for each of His elect, that has “reconciled” them to God giving “peace with God”. Christ’s sacrificial death provides the sole basis for salvation. Col 1:21-22 also affirms, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight...”

Psa 38:3 “There is no soundness in my [speaking of Lord Jesus Christ] flesh because of thine [God’s] anger; neither is there any rest [peace] in my bones because of my [laden with our sins] sin.”

Eph 2:13-17 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Rom 5:8-10 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

2 Cor 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

With His Stripes We are Healed - In Isa 53:5, “... with his stripes we are healed”, the healing that God has in view is altogether spiritual in nature. This is because man’s most fundamental problem is the sickness of his heart and penalty for his sin, which is Hell: “... They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). John 12:37-40 highlights unsaved man’s spiritual heart disease. Jer 17:14 beautifully proclaims , “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise”. Isa 57:19 brings out this same truth, but in the context of the Great Commission: “I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him”. Deu 32:39 also adds, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand”. Isa 1:5-6 is a very penetrating passage in the Bible which portrays our sin as the disease of leprosy: “Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises [or stripes], and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment”. Lord Jesus had to become a spiritual leper for His people. The expression “with his stripes” helps to further our understanding that the Messiah had become sin on behalf of each person for whom He became a ransom payment. As their sin bearer, He had to pay the just punishment of Hell. The Gospel brings spiritual healing to God’s unsaved elect when it is proclaimed by believers and applied by the Holy Spirit, as was typified by the “sign” of physical healing performed by Jesus and His disciples. Lord Jesus Christ mission is highlighted in Luke 4:18 (quoted from Isa 61:1), where God spoke of Christ’s atoning work for the salvation of His people as spiritual healing: “... he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, ... to set at liberty them that are bruised”. Mal 4:2 beautifully portrays the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings ...”. God used Peter and John to give the gift of physical healing to the lame man in Acts 3:2 as a picture of how He uses His witnesses to bring the Gospel, which provides the gift of spiritual healing – salvation – to those whom God plans to save.

Isa 53:3-5 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

1 Pet 2:22-25 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him [God] that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Lord Jesus], because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

John 12:37-40 “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He [God] hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

Rom 10:15-17, 20 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God ... But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.”

Psa 103:1-4 “(A Psalm of David.) Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”

Stricken and Smitten of God, Despised and Rejected of Men. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:08:00 +0000

He Hath No Form, Nor Comelines, Nor Beauty – Psa 8:5 speaks of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus who is crowned with Glory and Honor. The Lord Jesus Christ is also described as, the “Lily of the Valleys”, the “Rose of Sharon” (Song of Solomon 2:1), and the “Bright and Morning Star” (Rev 22:16). We thrill to hear of these magnificent descriptions of the Lord Jesus, yet Isa 53:2 and Isa 52:14 speaks of the promised Messiah as having “no form”, “no comeliness” and “no beauty”. The Hebrew word for “form” (toar 8389) is translated a number of different ways in English and conveys the idea of beautiful, goodly, comely and countenance. And the Hebrew word for “comeliness” (hadar), is pregnant with meanings that are expressed by a number of English words, such as beauty, honor, and majesty, among others. Thus, the statement “he hath no form” emphasizes the opposite of “beauty”, the fact of His having become sin for His people. The chief characteristic of the offerings that God had prescribed in the Old Testament is perfection: “Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut” (Lev 22:24). Of course, all of those Old Testament sacrifice offerings pointed to the Messiah Who embodied perfection – signifying His absolute sinlessness – yet He had to become sin, or spiritually corrupted, for all whom He came to save. Though He was crowned with Glory and Majesty, we must never lose sight of the astounding fact that the Messiah had to become their very opposite – repulsive, shameful, and degraded – in order to redeem each believer from sin and its punishment of everlasting Hell and make His bride glorious. Being “Lily of the Valleys”, the “Rose of Sharon”, and the “Bright and Morning Star”, had to become what you and I are by nature – vile, loathsome and abominable.

Isa 53:2 “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he [speaking of Lord Jesus] hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”

Isa 52:14 “As many were astonied at thee; his [speaking of Lord Jesus] visage was so marred more than any man, and his form, more than the sons of men.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Heb 2:9 (quoting Psa 8:5) “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

1 Pet 1:19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Despised and Rejected of Men – Psa 22:6 says, “But I [Speaking of Lord Jesus] am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people”. Man despises God and John 3:19 explains why this is so: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”. Just as man rejects God’s Written Word, the Bible, so man rejected the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, when He walked upon this earth. Luke 10:16 also illustrates this sad reality that man’s hatred for his fellowman is indicative of how much he actually despises God: “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me”. Also, the idea of “hiding from God”: “We hid as it were our faces from him”, stems from our sinfulness - love for darkness, as Gen 3:8 indicates, “... Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden”. And Num 15:31 declares the punishment for despising the Word of God: “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him”. Furthermore, since this is the lot of all mankind, who are conceived in sin and born in iniquity according to Psa 51:5 – they will be cut off. To be “cut off” is language that speaks of being cast into Hell – the penalty we all deserve. That is also why Christ, Who was laden with the iniquity of His people, had to be cut off. In other words, He had to endure the eternal wrath of God for those He came to save. Messiah took upon Himself as He became sin and fulfilled God’s Law – eternal damnation in Hell.

Isa 29:15 “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”

Isa 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Psa 88:4 “I [speaking of Lord Jesus] am counted [esteemed] with them that go down into the pit [hell]: I am as a man that hath no strength:”

John 19:15 “But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.”

Luke 20:17 “And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?”

Psa 118:22-23 “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”

Stricken, Smitten of God, Afflicted – Isa 53:3-4 depicts both the rejection of Christ by man and ultimately the eternal abandonment by God His Father. The pain and sorrow that the Lord Jesus had to overcome is staggering, and beyond our finite understanding. The word “sorrow” (makob 4341) appears in Messianic Psalm 38, pictures the rigors of Hell that Christ had to endure, bearing the sins of his elect, as verses 3 through 7 set forth. Psalm 22, which is also a Messianic Psalm gives many details of the unimaginable spiritual agony that the Lord Jesus had to endure as He became sin for His bride, the eternal Church. The Hebrew word used for “stricken” (naga 5060) and is rendered as – “touch”, “plagued”, and “draweth nigh”: “For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh [stricken] unto the grave” (Psa 88:7). Time after time in these verses, and throughout Isaiah 53 and the Bible, God goes into great detail so that we will not miss the tremendous truth that His Son became sin nor forget the terrible price that His Son had to pay – to suffer the equivalent of eternity in Hell, in order to “save His people from their sins”, as 2 Cor 5:21, emphasizes: “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. The Hebrew word for “smitten” (nakah 5221) is translated as various forms of “smite”, “slay”, and “kill”. Notice how the phrase says, “smitten of God”. Who can begin to comprehend this amazing declaration that God the Father would “kill” God the Son with the spiritual “second death” – eternal damnation of both body and soul in Hell – in accordance with the Law of God, the Bible? That is the identical punishment that you and I deserve for our sins. A very significant passage is Zec 13:7, which foretells the account of all the Disciples who forsook the Lord when He allowed Himself to be voluntarily captured in the Garden of Gethsemane (wine press): “I [God] will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad”. The Lord Jesus, who had became sin, was crushed in the winepress of God to shed His blood (or life) in order to make atonement, or payment, for the sins of His children as we read in Isa 63:3, “I [Jesus] have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me”. Psa 22:1 illustrates the unspeakable agony of the Only One (so far) Who has experienced the very essence of Hell: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”. Psa 88:7 continues to pinpoint the very essence of Hell: “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah”. Jonah 2:2-6 gives us another picture of Christ in Hell. Keep in mind that Jonah in whale’s belly is a type, or figure, of the Lord Jesus Christ in that Christ was in the heart of earth when He suffered the wrath of God: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [under the wrath of God]” (Matt 12:40). The anguish that epitomizes the essence of Hell is expressed in the Savior’s cry from the Cross in Mark 15:34: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”. Christ was able to endure Hell knowing that His body would not be subject to “corruption” (Acts 13:33-37), or decay as we read in Jonah 2:6, “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God”.

Isa 53:3-4, 7 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Psa 38:3-7 “There is no soundness in my [speaking of Lord Jesus] flesh because of thine [God’s] anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin [laden with our sin]. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.”

Zec 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”

Matt 26:31 “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written [in Zec 13:7], I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

Isa 63:1-3 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.”

Jon 2:2-6 “And said, I [Jonah typifying Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.”

The Curse of the Cross, The Shame of the Cross, The Glory of the Cross. Read more...

noreply@blogger.com (WordsofTruth TheBible) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Cursed is Every One – Deu 27:26 declares that the whole mankind is cursed: “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them …” and also reiterated in Jer 11:3 and Gal 3:10. To be “under the curse” is to be under the Law of God; and the Law of God can only bring judgment, as Rom 4:15 instructs: “Because the law worketh wrath …” . What this means in simple terms is that man is under obligation to obey everything in the Bible perfectly or suffer the consequences, which is to be cast into Hell forever. That is what is in view in the phrase, “… cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal 3:10). Since “... whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”, it should be abundantly obvious that nobody can do this because it would require perfection on our part. Since God originally created mankind in His image, God cannot accept anything less than perfection given His perfect, holy, and righteous character. Hence we all stand guilty and condemned before the Judge of the whole earth, as we are so painfully reminded of in Rom 3:19. However, because mankind in general cannot possibly carry out God’s commands, neither can man keep God’s Law, so, the next logical question is, “Why then the Law?”. The Law is a representation of God’s righteousness and an indication of His very nature. We see from Gal 3:29, that God’s Law is intended to be a “schoolmaster” to expose and teach us about our sin and our desperate need for a Savior – the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Jehovah-Jireh has graciously provided as “the lamb of God”.

Gal 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”

Rom 3:19 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Gal 3:19-24 “Wherefore [Why] then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore [Therefore] the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

Christ hath Redeemed Us from the Curse, being Made a Curse for Us – I would like us to now look at this phrase found in Gal 3:13, “… Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree…”. In Deu 21, notice verse 22 says, “... if a man have committed a sin worthy of death…” have to be “put to death”. In the eyes of God, every sin is “worthy of death” – eternal death – and is sufficient to send anyone to Hell forever (as we have just learned from Jam 2:10). So, we can begin to understand that the Lord Jesus – Who was absolutely sinless – became sin and cursed – was put to eternal death, for those He came to redeem: “Who his own self bare our sins in his [Lord Jesus Christ] own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pet 2:24). The “healing” that the Bible is concerned with is the spiritual healing of our sin-sick souls (graphically portrayed in Isa 1:5-6), which only the Great Physician can cure. I cannot emphasize enough that the Lord Jesus Christ had to become sin – He had to become cursed – in order to pay the punishment that the Law of God, the Bible, demands – eternal damnation in Hell. Think about this: God the Son, Who is perfectly holy, harmless [innocent], and undefiled, became unholy, guilty, and defiled in paying for the sins of each born-again Christian. Thus, God was forsaking God at the Cross! God was cursing God! God was punishing God in Hell!

Deu 21:22-23 “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Gal 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Gal 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Rev 22:3 “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it [Kingdom of Christ]; and his servants shall serve him.”

Despising the Shame of the Cross – Christ’s death was foretold in Scripture hundreds and even thousands of years before it took place. In order to accomplish His divine mission, the Lamb “slain from [before] the foundation of the world” (as we read in Rev 13:8) had one day to become a man, this in itself is humbling for eternal, infinite God, and then to allow Himself to be betrayed by one of his disciples, captured, humiliated, beaten, and crucified. Part of the shame that Christ had to endure was physical in nature, yet this could not compare with the spiritual agony He had to undergo. A number of Messianic Psalms as well as other passages find their fulfillment in the various gospel accounts of the Crucifixion. One of these is Psalm 69 in its entirety. Let’s look at just verse 19 for now: “Thou hast known my [Lord Jesus Christ] reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee”. In addition to the mental and emotional abuses of ridicule, scorn, and hatred to which the Lord Jesus was subjected, there were the physical abuses of spitting, flogging, slapping, and then the unbearable rigors of the actual crucifixion, which was one of the most torturous methods of execution to be imposed on a human being. However, there is yet another degradation that the Lord Jesus had to face. He hung naked on the cross as a shameful spectacle for all to see. In the beginning both Adam and Eve were physically naked; and, just like all things that God had created, it was “very good”. It was only after they sinned, that this became a problem, since it revealed the shameful spiritual condition they had foolishly brought upon themselves by disobeying God. This sad account is found in Gen 3. The physical nakedness of Adam and Eve served to expose their spiritual nakedness – a frightful analogy to being under the judgment of God and eternal damnation in Hell. The anguish that epitomizes the essence of Hell is expressed in the Savior’s cry from the Cross in Mark 15:34: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”. Secondly, Christ also had to become something that is absolutely contrary to His perfect, holy, sinless, nature – He had to become sin and curse, as we read in 2 Cor 5:21: “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. Isa 53:3-5 depicts the greatest spiritual shame that only God the Son could possibly endure. Christ sacrificed Himself upon the “altar of God” with exceeding joy. Php 2:8 helps us to understand and remember the purpose of the Cross: “… for the joy that was set before him …” that the Lord Jesus by both “enduring the cross” and “despising the shame” have conquered sin, Hell, and Satan. Thus Jesus Christ has become “the author and finisher of our faith” and then took His rightful seat in Heaven as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”.

Psa 109:25 [Messianic] “I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.”

Job 16:10 [Messianic] “They have gaped upon me [Job as picture of Christ] with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.”

Mat 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jon 2:2 “And said, I [Jonah as picture of Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”

Isa 53:3-5 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Php 2:8 “And being found in fashion as a man, he [Lord Jesus Christ] humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Glory of the Cross – Why did Paul, under divine inspiration, say that the only thing he could boast about, or “glory in”, is the Cross of Christ in Gal 6:14? And what does the Cross of Christ represent? Without question it is an instrument of death – but the death in view is eternal death – the death of soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28). In another words, what is supremely important about the Cross of Christ is that He suffered the spiritual equivalent of eternal death in Hell for those He came to save. His death was the means that God decreed to reconcile every Christian to the Father. The Cross strips away the unbiblical notion that man plays any part in God’s salvation plan because man is spiritually dead, as we learn from Eph 2:1-10, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”. Heb 2:14 declares, “… that through death he [Christ] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”. What is the meaning of “… the world is crucified unto me…” found in Gal 6:14? We know that to be crucified is to be put to death. But how is the “world crucified” to Paul – or any other believer for that matter? Gal 2:20 speaks about this very issue. Prior to salvation, God’s elect are “wicked” with worldly lusts, just like the rest of the world that is under the spiritual dominion of Satan. Christ’s death on the cross served to free the true believers from their bondage to sin, the world, and Satan and 2 Pet 1:4 also highlights God’s grace in saving His people: “ ... ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. Not only setting us free from “second death” but “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. When God delivers them from the power of darkness, and translates them into the kingdom of his dear Son, the new believer goes from being a slave of sin to being a slave of righteousness, or a slave (servant) of Jesus Christ (Rom 6:18). We will now consider next the phrase, “… and I unto the world …” found in Gal 6:14. How is the true child of God crucified to the world? After God takes His people out of Satan’s kingdom through salvation, the world hates them, as stated in John 15:19: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”. As we have just noted, the world is characterized by slavery to sin and to Satan – the spiritual father of all who are unsaved. The Christian, by God’s grace, has been set free from that bondage as we learn from Isa 61:1. The phrase “… and I unto the world …” can also be understood in the light of the Great Commission. The believer recognizes that God has saved him from slavery to sin and to Satan to serve Christ – that is, to be a witness to those around him who remain prisoners in Satan’s kingdom. They are to be Ambassadors for Christ in the world to fulfill the words of 2 Cor 5:19-20.

Eph 2:1-10 “And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation [or lifestyle] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Gal 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory [boast], save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me [Jesus Christ] to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

John 17:18 “As thou hast sent me [Jesus Christ] into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”

2 Cor 5:19-20 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Gal 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”